Mauriac travel guide

Visit Mauriac (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France)

Mauriac is a town on the side of a hill towards the north-west of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne region of France. The town originally developed around a benedictine monastery and Maurac is now officially listed as a 'small town of character'.

Explore Mauriac

France This Way review: Mauriac is a pleasant town to visit but not exceptional and is more likely to be a place to visit when you are in the region rather than a major destination that you travel a long way to get to...

Mauriac is a traditional small Auvergne town with several small highlights to discover as you explore, a result of its history as an important local centre in both medieval times, and later during the Renaissance period.

Visit the Mauriac Tourist Office on Rue Chappe d'Auteroche for a leaflet indicating the highlights of the town.

You will discover lots of houses with facades dating from the 16th - 18th centuries providing the backdrop to the town, which has also preserved part of its original defensive fortifications.

Start your visit to Mauriac with a stroll around the Place Georges Pompidou and the streets around the cathedral to see some of the best examples.

The most important buildings in Mauriac are religious in nature, of which the 12th century roman style Basilica Notre Dame des Miracles is the most imposing.

Following a design very typical of the Auvergne, the church has a central octagonal tower and an ornately carved entrance of Christ and his apostles. Inside the church you can see the baroque style alterpiece and the ancient painted baptismal font.

Note also the Monastery of Saint Peter with origins dating back at least to the 6th century (the building we see today dates from the 15th-18th centuries) and the Puy Saint Mary Chapel from the 19th century.

The Town Hall is another substantial building on the Place Georges Pompidou. Interestingly it was built using stone from a 12th century church that had been demolished in the early 19th century.

Behind the town hall there is a small classical style building that was once the Mauriac Palais de Justice.

Other monuments of note in Mauriac include the carved stone entrance to the Jesuits college, now the lycée in Mauriac (the entrance was added in the 18th century to the existing 16th century college) and the 17th century Hotel d'Orcet that includes a medieval tower (the building is now a local government office): both of these buildings are next to each other and a short distance down a side road from the main central square.

You can also find a good selection of restaurants in Mauriac.

Attractions nearby

Of particular interest to tourists (especially those with children) is a large lake with beach, swimming, pedal boats, a cafe and an extensive park area including a 9 hole golf course just south of Mauriac at Val Saint-Jean.

In the region around Mauriac there are numerous small villages and hamlets to explore, typically little more than a cluster of houses around a medieval church. We recommend that you visit the two villages of Salers and Tournemire located to the south-east of Mauriac, which are both classified among the 'most beautiful villages of France'.

Explore elsewhere in the Massif Central. You can find more travel ideas in the Cantal guide and the Auvergne guide.