NATURE PARKS OF THE AUVERGNE

Extending across the Massif Central, the Volcanoes of the Auvergne and the Livradois-Forez parks have a grandiose beauty mixed with old-fashioned rural charm.

Vast open mountains and green plateaux are the hallmark of the Auvergne region in the Massif Central highlands of France. Around the central city of Clermont-Ferrand, volcanoes and hills sprinkled with lakes, forests, rivers and peat bogs are home to two regional nature parks. Separated by the River Allier, the Volcanoes of the Auvergne and the Livradois-Forez Regional Nature Parks run parallel to each other, and between them offer protection to some of the Auvergne’s most beautiful countryside and richest natural sites.

Volcans d’Auvergne The Volcanoes of the Auvergne was established in 1977 and is the largest French regional nature park. Visually, it is impossible to escape from the geological origins of the landscape; volcanic eruptions beginning about 20 million years ago formed the four massifs and granite plateaux that dominate the countryside today.

To discover the area, plenty of well-marked routes are ideal for hiking or horse-riding. The peaks and waters also set bigger challenges: hang-gliding is possible from many of the summits; downhill and cross-country skiing is a winter delight; over fifty equipped climbing sites range from level 2 to 8b in difficulty; sailing and windsurfing is possible on most lakes; the rivers offer canoeing; and hot-air balloon trips simply let the vast panoramas unfold below.

Puy de Dôme The Puys chain of volcanoes in the north are the youngest volcanoes in France, and have just cooled down after their fiery activity 6,000 years ago. A line of over eighty volcanoes stretches for 35km, creating a mysterious silhouette visible from afar. Just west of Clermont-Ferrand, the Puy de Dôme rises to 1,464m, and being the highest in the chain is the symbol of the region. A Roman temple to Mercury was built here in the 1st century ad, while now the strategic position is home to army, meteorological, television and telecommunication stations.

The vantage point also offers an amazing view over other peaks, each one formed by a different volcanic quirk: the Puy de Dôme itself is a rounded dome with no crater, having been formed by lava cooling in contact with the open air; the Suchet was scarred by a violent explosion; and Côme Puy has a double crater caused by successive eruptions.

South of the Puys, the Dore mountains are the grandparents of the Auvergne volcanoes, and have the highest summits of the Massif Central, with the dark lava rocks of the Puy du Sancy reaching 1,886m.

The Cantal mountains Lying at the southern edge of the Volcanoes Park, this range was created between 11 and 4 million years ago and is the largest volcanic massif in Europe. From the central peaks around the Puy Mary and the Plomb du Cantal, about a dozen glacial valleys spread out in the distance, covered with beautiful beech forests and rich pastureland.

L’Artense and Cézallier Between the Dore and the Cantal mountains, the Artense plateau and Cézallier massif offer a diversion from volcanic craters. A granite plateau with glacial gorges, the Artense displays green meadows with scattered rocks and small lakes. Interspersed are beech and coniferous forests, broom-covered slopes and peat bogs in the valleys.

In the Cézallier region, a high bare plateau to the east is covered in mountain pastures, creating a summer kingdom where insects abound. Wild wooded gorges pierce the eastern slopes, and the Pinatelle forest is home to the park’s largest deer population. The two glacial lakes either side of La Godivelle village have been designated a nature reserve to protect their natural peat bogs.

Spa towns After a few days’ wandering in the volcanic wilderness, another of the Auvergne’s specialities might be needed for relaxation. The region is home to ten spa towns. The curative properties of the natural hot mineral springs have been used for centuries, and today’s thermal resorts are centres for recuperation and calm. At Le Mont-Dore, part of the spa centre is a classified historical monument, having wonderful neo-Byzantine architecture. The most famous spa, Vichy, lies to the north-east of Clermont-Ferrand and is worth visiting for its elegant architecture from the Second Empire and the Belle Epoque.

Clermont-Ferrand A convenient central point between the two parks, Clermont-Ferrand’s bustle of commerce and nightlife offers a striking contrast to the surrounding Auvergne. However its dark buildings, built from the black volcanic rock of the area and earning it the name of ville noire (black town), help it to blend in. A statue of the Gallic chieftain Vercingétorix in the Place de Jaude and the dark, soaring Gothic cathedral of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, are two of the city’s main attractions.

Livradois-Forez The Livradois and Forez mountains were formed by movements in the Earth’s crust during the Tertiary geological period. Two ridges were thrown up, which over time slowly moved away from each other, causing the ground between to collapse. This is seen today in the Dore valley that separates the ranges. West of the Livradois peaks, the fertile Limagne plains near Billom have a mild climate. The black earth produces maize and sunflowers, the tall houses have red roofs, and the area is known as the Auvergne Tuscany. This gentle land soon gives way to the Livradois’ wooded slopes and bare open tops. To the south, the Bar Mount near Allègre is a volcanic cone sheltering a peat bog in its crater, a unique site in Europe, and at nearby Sembadel, a picturesque rail route begins. A ‘discovery train’ runs through most of the park, first across La Chaise-Dieu plateau and then up alongside the river, allowing spectacular views to the surrounding mountains.

Highland life Trees don’t grow on the windswept highlands, and the high stubble fields, or hautes chaumes as they are called locally, stretch their thrilling bleakness for miles across the sub-alpine Forez peaks. Dotted about are jasseries, granite mountain cottages with thatched roofs, where once women, children, dogs and livestock would have lived whilst the cows were out on the mountains’ summer pasturage. Although this custom has practically vanished and there are now more sheep than cows, the Fourme cheese that used to ripen in jasserie cellars is still made in the region. At Col des Supeyres, a jasserie has been restored with care and is open as a museum to offer visitors a taste of the past – local ham, sausage and cheese can all be sampled along with the old-fashioned atmosphere.

Water power Hardly benefiting at all from the rich volcanic soil of its western neighbours, the Livradois-Forez is generally poor agricultural land, and the local farmers have always needed to diversify to survive. From the Forez and Livradois ranges, numerous mountain streams rush down the slopes, chiselling out enclosed valleys, and since the Middle Ages the locals have used this natural force to power mills of all kinds.

To the north of the park, Thiers was a medieval industrial city, and is still the cutlery capital of France. The waters of the River Durolle were used for the cutlery works, and the old factory buildings are now home to a contemporary art museum. A wander along the Durolle reveals the tenacity it must have taken to capture the river’s energy. Here, in the Vallée des Rouets, knife-grinders would lie on their stomachs across planks above the mill wheels. Their body weight would hold the knives against the grinding wheels, the continuous motion whetting the blades to their final sharpness.

Ingenuity and local trades The knife trade was only one of many that have become part of the Livradois tradition. Near Ambert, another water-based industry can be witnessed at the Moulin Richard de Bas, a working mill that houses a museum of the history of paper. Paper is still made by hand in the style of the 14th century, and visitors can help. In Arlanc, a lace-making factory shows off the intricacies of the point and bobbin tradition, while in Lavaudieu a museum workshop displays the less well-known craft of stained glass-making.

Besides these durable products, the edible specialities of the Auvergne are also honoured. Local producers delight in offering guided tours round their apiaries, goose, goat, fruit or herb farms, and a working museum demonstrates how Fourme d’Ambert cheese is made. An ‘Artisan’s Route’ introduces visitors to all the trades, as well as the many castles and churches.

Auvergne architecture From the 9th century, Romanesque art began to make its presence felt in the Auvergne, and today over 500 churches in the region display the rounded arches and vaults typical of the period. The only intact Romanesque cloister at Lavaudieu abbey, and the recently restored mini-church at Glaine-Montaigut are of special note, particularly for their religious wall-paintings. Thiers, Arlanc and Billom are all home to magnificent churches, while even village churches are worth a visit. The imposing abbey at La Chaise-Dieu offers a contrast with its Gothic style.

Auvergne birds For ornithologists, the Auvergne has many valuable sites. Birds of prey such as royal and black kites, kestrels, peregrines and eagles swoop over the steep slopes of the volcanoes; hawks and harriers scan the pastures for prey; and riverbanks shelter herons and stone curlews. Rock thrushes find their diet of insects and berries on the sub-alpine meadows, and woodpeckers and finches hide in the woods, as does the shy black grouse, symbol of the Livradois-Forez Park. The Bird Protection League does a lot of work in the area, setting up platforms for white storks to nest on.

Schnapps The upland moors of both parks let the carnivorous drosera, or sundew, flourish to the peril of unwary insects, and grass of Parnassus grows in the moist fields. The volcanic soil provides nourishment for andromeda, spotted cat’s ear and autumn crocuses. Martagon lilies and anemones are amongst the rarer species, and yellow gentians spread over the plateaux. These plants are prized for their roots, which grow thick and deep. Dug up, sorted, cleaned and crushed, they are soaked in alcoholic spirits to produce the golden gentian schnapps.

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