Forteresse de Polignac Auvergne

Sprouting from the sharp crags of a volcanic dome northwest of Le Puy, this late-11th-century castle was built by the powerful Polignac family, who once controlled access to the city from the north, and to whom the fortress has belonged for a millennium. It's ringed by a practically continuous wall dotted with lookout towers and a 32m-high rectangular keep. It's a 5km drive from Le Puy.