Vieux Issoire (Old Town)

Issoire lies in the valley of the Allier, south of Clermont-Ferrand, where the plain meets the foothills of the Massif Central. The old town is compact, and its streets still follow the outline of the former ramparts, replaced long ago by a ring of boulevards. Inside that ring, narrow streets, arcaded houses and old courtyards give a picture of a small market town that was rebuilt several times, since it was caught up in the Wars of Religion in the sixteenth century and suffered serious damage.

The great monument is the abbey church of Saint-Austremoine, one of the largest Romanesque churches in Auvergne. The abbey grew from a monastery said to hold the relics of Saint Austremonius, the first bishop of Clermont, and the church's chevet, with its radiating chapels and carved capitals, is a classic of the Auvergne Romanesque style. Inside, the capitals and the large painted decoration, some of it restored in the nineteenth century, make a striking impression. The church stands close to the old town and is an obvious first stop.

The old streets around it are mostly modest, but they reward slow walking. Look for stone houses with arcades at street level, carved doorways, courtyards and stairs, and for the Tour de l'Horloge, the clock tower, which marks the town centre and has been opened to visitors in summer. The Pont de la Révolution crosses a small river on the edge of the old town, and the Marché d'Issoire fills the streets on market day with local produce, cheeses and craft stalls. The Musée de la Mine and the Collégiale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption add to the list of things to see.

Issoire also makes a good base for the surrounding country. To the west are the extinct volcanoes of the Auvergne and the valleys of the Couze rivers, with walking and cycling routes, and the Allier river valley has its own trails and wine-growing slopes. The town has good restaurants serving Auvergne food, such as cheese, charcuterie and lentils.

Allow an hour or two for the old town, longer if you include the abbey church and a market visit. It suits history and architecture lovers, cyclists on the Allier route and anyone who prefers small towns to big ones. Check the summer opening times for the clock tower, which change by season.