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Auvergne is part of the large region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is located in the center of France as if it were the heart of it. It has four regions:
As far as tourism in 2022 goes, Auvergne has a lot to offer. For this Quebecer’s first time in the region, I was taken by the many different options.
Just the thing, Milesopedia is currently forging links with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes tourism board. We present to you the must-dos. Then tell us in our Facebook group if you’ve added this adventure to your bucket list.
Auvergne has superb natural attractions. 80% of its territory is mountainous and a large part is composed of volcanoes and craters. Did you know? They can be found in the Puy de Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire departments.
Whether for short or long hikes, the eighty volcanoes of the Chaîne des Puys-faille de Limagne are a giant playground for hikers. The volcanoes follow each other along a 32 km long fault.
From the summits of some of these volcanoes, you can observe such exceptional geological phenomena that they have earned themselves a place on UNESCO’s World HeritageList. What’s more, access to the volcanoes is safe and easy.
Puy de Sancy is the highest volcano in Auvergne and mainland France. Sancy Massif is a must-see when visiting the region. Between hikes, visiting the garden, and swimming in the lake, it will leave you feeling refreshed!
Puy de Dôme is the most famous volcano of the Chaîne des Puys-faille de Limagne. It is classified as a “Grand Site de France” and is considered the region’s landmark.
The side of Puy de Dôme can be climbed on foot or with the “Panoramique des Dômes”, an electric cogwheel train. Moreover, from April to November, shuttles connect the city center of Clermont-Ferrand to various trailheads. Using the same method of transport, you can also reach the Lemptegy volcano, where you can visit the interior.
They also offer scientific tours adapted for all ages. For example, Vulcania is a playful and interactive exploration park that demystifies volcanoes and the natural phenomena of planet Earth.
Starting at age three, budding explorers can experience it all for the first time. More information here.
In Volvic, the histories of the cave of the Volvic stone and the site of the Sources unfurl.
South of the Puy de Dôme, in the Cantal department, Puy Mary is also one of France’s “Grands Sites“. This immense volcano stretches for approximately 70 km. It offers several sporting activities such as short and long hikes and horseback riding. You can choose to be accompanied by a guide.
Puy Mary also caters to the more adventurous, with 15 km of downhill mountain bike trails. The start of the trail is accessible by a cable car and a chair lift. Finally, paragliding and hot air balloon flights offer magnificent views.
In the Haute-Loire, the nature bath continues, with the bonus of air quality, of which the region’s inhabitants are proud. A question of climate, it seems. Here we find the town of Puy-en-Velay and its two volcanoes at the heart of the city.
The Haute-Loire is located in the heart of the Auvergne region, and is irrigated by the Loire River and one of its confluents, the Allier. In addition to hiking, biking and bicycle racing, the area offers a wide range of water-based activities. Whitewater sports, fishing and sailing are all on the agenda.
It is said that this region of Auvergne is full of secrets and that its nature is gentle and discreet. Just my style.
This fourth and last département of the Auvergne is home to the Allier, a wild river at this level that is still largely undeveloped. Canoeing, kayaking, camping, and fishing are popular activities.
In addition, the magnificent Tronçais forest in north-western Allier is famous for its exceptional quality oak. This forest heritage is used to make barrels for cognac and fine wines.
The Allier then stands out for its waters.
On its route, we find the city of Vichy, a thermal spa first recognized by Napoleon. Recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vichy is now known as the “Great Spa of Europe”!
Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of the treatments and services offered by the spa and balneotherapy establishments located here?
What is it about Vichy waters that gives them so many virtues: both for drinking – as we know from Vichy Célestins – and for healing?
Well, these waters are collected from springs with high levels of sodium bicarbonate and low levels of sodium chloride. This combination is said to aid digestion – think Vichy pastilles. Other springs are said to have properties that improve blood circulation and reduce fat cells. Finally, thermal mud is said to have a soothing effect on rheumatism. That’s it.
Auvergne is rooted in a long history. The Allier, for example, is marked by the influence of the royal Bourbon dynasty. It has been enriched by dungeons, fortresses, churches, châteaux, gentilhommières and fine residences, many of which are open to visitors.
Haute-Loire boasts a rich heritage of pretty villages, churches and dozens of châteaux, including 13 privately-owned ones lining the Loire Gorges. Most of them can be visited. Is it in one of them, one wonders, that Sleeping Beauty lived?
Did you know that in Auvergne alone, 11 communes are among the“most beautiful villages in France“? Take a look at Montpeyroux in Puy-de-Dôme, classified as a luminous elevated village.
The capital of the Haute-Loire region Puy-en-Velay, is classified as a town of art and history. Its medieval roots are rooted in the history of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and its beautiful Notre-Dame du Puy-en-Velay cathedral is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It’s here that the venerated Black Virgin of Puy is the focal point of a parade in the picturesque streets every year in mid-August. And this, since the XVII century. The event attracts thousands of people from many countries.
In Le Puy-en-Velay, you’ll discover the chapel of Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe, perched 88 metres high atop a volcanic rock. Alongside the statue of Notre Dame de France, they both watch over the city.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the show, Le Puy de Lumières: it consists of light projections at nightfall during the summer season, on the emblematic monuments of Puy-en-Velay.
Finally, I’d like to mention the King of Birds Renaissance Festival, which takes place every year in September. Ah! Wonderful Auvergne.
On the gourmet side, the Allier region offers some twenty vineyards to delight the taste buds. In addition to tastings, some estates offer thematic tours on foot, by bicycle, or in a mehari (two-seater open-air car).
Saint-Pourçain has been a well-known wine in the region since the Middle Ages. It was served at the table of kings. It is still available in red, white, or rosé… and at the SAQ.
In Cantal, you can taste the wine of Palhas, known as the nectar of volcanoes. The commune of Salers also produces an excellent raw-milk cow’s milk cheese, Saler, an emblematic Cantal breed whose appellation is now protected.
Thus Salers is classified as a village, a cow, and a cheese!
And finally, if you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love Murat’s artisanal cone.
Haute-Loire offers gastronomy worthy of France. Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, a small village of 250 inhabitants, is a gastronomic mecca in its own right, hosting four chefs who have qualified in the ultimate red restaurant guide.
Let’s finish this chapter of the visits by revisiting the fact that it is in the volcanic soil of the Velay that the green lentil of Le Puy is cultivated.
We go to Auvergne for its cured meats, wines, cheeses, potato pâté and landscapes.
Clermont-Ferrand was the birthplace of the prodigious mathematician and inventor Pascal Blaise. Nothing to sneeze at.
It is said to be a natural city because the city is located partly in the Chaîne des Puys. Clermont-Ferrand, therefore, offers multiple options for hiking and walking in parks and gardens. The well-known seaside resort of Royat-Chamalières is also well established here.
The city’s cathedral, Notre-Dame de L’Assomption, is built from black lava stones from Volvic. Its basilica, Notre-Dame-du-Port, devotes itself to the Black Madonna. They are both worth a visit.
Clermont-Ferrand is also the birthplace of Michelin, the world’s leading tire manufacturer. Don’t forget to visit its museum!
We’ll let you discover other attractions of beautiful Clermont-Ferrand in this link: 6 good reasons to visit the city.
Three airports serve the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Air Canada resumed flights on December 11 and Air Transat will resume flights between May and October 2022, with several flights per week.
The national transport service offers national lines that serve the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region mainly by TGV (high-speed train).
Regional transport services, including regional express trains, also cover the entire area. It provides regular connections between the mountain resorts and the major cities in the region.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has over 1,300 kilometers of freeway. So, no worries here.
Once there, you can of course use your Canadian credit card to pay for activities, restaurants or accommodation. Consider carrying one of these no-fee currency conversion credit cards with you: you’ll save 2.5% on each transaction!
We’ve gone over a part of the 12 regions of Auvergne.
The first Auvergne landmark we are struck by is the craters and volcanoes. Here we can learn more by exploring museums or by following a guide through magnificent landscapes with winding rivers.
Although Quebec has no volcanic formations, we know and love the great outdoors. But being on the Old Continent means gaining access to a part of our history, heritage and culture that 400-year-old Quebec doesn’t have.
And talk about gastronomy! France’s reputation is already renowned in this department, and Auvergne invites us to discover its contribution to its country’s status.
Milesopedia readers, it is first by dreaming that a trip is planned and then experienced. May this article allow us to start the process. Auvergne is waiting for us.
Photo presentation : Massif du Sancy. Credit P. Soissons / Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Tourisme
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