Architecture and views over two valleys
Salers is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France. Houses with turrets, a belfry and town walls shape the townscape. The old town houses also reflect a long history of construction: their architecture spans the period from the 14th to the 18th century. If you are interested in historic buildings, you will find not just one landmark here, but a range of architectural forms and periods.
The Église Saint-Mathieu combines late Gothic architecture with a Romanesque bell tower, portal and porch. Inside are a late-15th-century Deposition of Christ, 17th-century Aubusson tapestries, altarpieces and paintings. The Maison du Commandeur offers another architectural highlight: this Renaissance town house has a Gothic-style gallery. The Musée de l'histoire de Salers et de ses traditions populaires is located there, but has been closed for construction work since 2022.
The Esplanade de Barrouze is a specific landmark from which to take in the landscape. From there, you can see the Maronne and Aspre valleys and the surrounding countryside. The buildings and the viewpoint thus offer different perspectives on Salers, without requiring the same kind of visit to be the focus.
Compare routes by duration and distance
La Montagnoune is a four-kilometre hike marked in blue. It is considered easy and takes about one hour and 15 minutes. The e-bike route from Salers to Puy Violent passes through the Maronne glacial valley. It covers 37.5 kilometres and 1,240 metres of elevation gain, takes about two hours and is considered fairly easy.
The two routes differ not only in the mode of transport: the hike is shorter in distance and duration, while the e-bike route covers considerably more kilometres and elevation gain. This gives you a concrete comparison for planning your day without treating the two tours as equivalent. Conditions on the La Montagnoune trail and its markings may change; conditions on the e-bike route may also change. Check these details before setting off.
Cheese experiences and local highlights
The Cave de Salers has a tasting room and a shop offering five cheeses with protected designation of origin: Salers, Fourme d’Ambert, Saint-Nectaire, Bleu d’Auvergne and Cantal. Guided tours with tastings are also available. A visit begins in the ageing cellar, where affineur Dominique scrapes and turns Salers cheese at different stages of maturation. If you plan a visit, check the arrangements before you travel.
The Maison du Fromage et de la Vache Salers offers a video projection, cheese tastings and cheese sales. At the Maison de la Gentiane SALERS, tastings and Salers sales are available. The stated highlights of these offerings differ: at the Maison du Fromage, the projection and sales are additional to the tastings, while at the Maison de la Gentiane, tastings and sales are the focus. A buron at Les Burons de Salers was rebuilt in 1996.
As a separate destination in the surrounding area, outside the village itself, the Maison de la Salers is dedicated to the Salers cow. It has a museum, tastings and a shop. If you are planning your stay beyond Salers, it is helpful to distinguish the village from this nearby destination.
Discover more destinations: Laroquebrou, Montmurat, Saint-Jacques-Des-Blats, Neuvéglise, Giou-De-Mamou, Saint-Martin-Valmeroux, Chaudes-Aigues, Dienne.
For the wider travel overview: Cantal.
