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Auvergne

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Situated in central France the region of Auvergne covers an area of 26,013 km². It comprises the departments of Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire and Puy-de –Dôme. Its capital is Clermont-Ferrand, a city with a population of 140,700. Other main towns in the region are Riom (capital of the province of Auvergne until the French revolution), Aurillac, Bourbon, Chamalières, le Puy-en-Velay, Montluçon, Moulins, Theirs, Moulins and Vichy. The average annual temperature of Auvergne is 12 degrees celsius and it has an annual rainfall of 510 to 1020 mm per year.

Human settlements existed in this area in the early stages of the Stone Age, becoming more numerous in the Bronze Age. The province took its name from Averni, a Gallic tribe whose leader Vercingétorix was defeated by the Roman General Gaius Julius Caesar. In 475 the Romans ceded Auvergne to the Visigoths, and in 507 Auvergne was conquered by the French King Clovis. In 950 Le-Puy-en-Velay was the starting point for one of the four pilgrimage routes to the Shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. In the 12th century Auvergne became a possession of the English King, Henry ll, following his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine. The region suffered from the ravages of the Hundred Years War before it returned to France, and was later swept by epidemics and food shortages.

The 18th century saw a return to tranquillity, although the economic resources of the area were not sufficient to sustain the population which was forced to migrate to other areas of France and abroad. The Napoleonic years brought better times, spurred by the opening of a rail line between Paris and Clermont-Ferrand in 1858. During World War 2 Mont Mouchet, a 4900 foot peak, became a stronghold of French resistance against German occupation, and was the site of a fierce battle that led to 4,000 casualties of both sides in June 1944.

Auvergne is synonymous with the Massif Central, a large rugged plateau of ancient granite and hardened lava with volcanic peaks and deep river gorges. This area has the largest group of volcanoes in Europe. The Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park covers five groups: the Chaȋne des Puys, the Massif du Sancy, The Plateau de l’Artense, The Plateau du Cézallier and the Monts du Cantal.

With the river Dore flowing through the middle, The Livrados-Forez area to the east of the Auvergne has two distinct characteristics. On the right bank of the Dore the Monts du Forez is covered with pine forests while on the left bank the Livrados is a series of plateaux and granite outcrops. Within this area the town of Thiers is famous for cutlery making while Ambert is a centre for paper production with more than 300 paper mills operating in the area. The village of Lavaudieu is classified as one of the most beautiful villages of France.

To the north east of Auvergne lies the land of the Dukes of Bourbon, the ancestral home of eight of the last Kings of France. A visit to Bourbon-l’Archambault takes the visitor on a trip into the history of the Bourbons while Vichy is a popular spa town.

On the border between Berry and the Bourbonnais regions lies the Forest of Tronçais. Covering nearly 11,000 hectares and made up predominantly of oak, beech and pine trees the forest provides the raw materials for the production of barrels, in large part for the wines of Bordeaux. Further south lies the city of Montluçon with the Château of the Dukes of Bourbon. One of the major attractions of this area is the Fades Viaduct overlooking the River Sioule at a height of more than 140 metres. Designed by a disciple of Gustave Eiffel it is the highest viaduct in Europe.

In Upper Auvergne at Chaude-Aigues is the hottest spring in Europe, La Source du Par. The spring is the source of a thermal spa which specialises in the treatment of chronic rheumatism. Upper Auvergne is also known for its Châtaigneraie (Chestnut Grove), a plateau covered with over 210,000 hectares of chestnut trees.

In Southern Auvergne the Gorges d’Alliers are an exceptionally beautiful natural feature, providing tourists with the chance to partake in many open-air activities such as hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. There are spectacular castles (Saint-Vidal, La Rochelambert, Polignac) and beautiful villages such as Arlempedes, Lavaudieu and Pradelles.

The cuisine of the Auvergne is simple and hearty. Traditional soups (cabbage –based) and stews to which are added lentils, chestnuts or mushrooms are popular. Cheese is a speciality of the region: varieties include Cantal from Salers, the blue-veined bleu d’Auvergne, fourme D’Ambert and the smooth and creamy saint-Nectaire. Charcuterie is also an important local delicacy – rissoles, saucissons and the famous Auvergne ham are all popular.
 

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