Auvergne & Limousin
West of the Rhône are the volcanic highlands of the Massif Central, historically known as Auvergne and consisting today of the départements of Haute-Loire, Cantal, Pays-de-Dôme and Allier. The Limousin region to the west comprises Haute-Vienne, Creuse and Corrèze. Architecturally, Auvergne is rich in châteaux and churches (especially in the Allier and Loire gorges) and is noted for its colourful, rich and mysterious nature. The National Park here offers magnificent walking country – a land of water, mountains, plains and extinct volcanoes (the Cantal crater may once have been 30km/20 miles wide). There are ten spa resorts within its boundaries, as well as many lakes, rivers and forests. The high plateaux of Combrailles, Forez and Bourbonnais are very beautiful.
Clermont-Ferrand, which is the political and economic nucleus for the whole of the Massif Central, is a lively and sprawling town and the birthplace of the Michelin tyre empire. Much of the town’s architecture (especially in the older parts of the Clermont area) is black, because of the local black volcanic rock. There is a 13th-century Gothic cathedral and a 14th-century Romanesque basilica, as well as several museums. The town makes a very good base for exploring the beautiful areas around it.
There are plenty of good hôtels, gîtes d’hôtes, and gîtes de France throughout the region. The cuisine is splendid, including cornet de Murat (pastries), pounti, truffades and the St Nectaire cheeses. At nearby Saint-Ours-les-Roches is the new European Volcano Centre, a specially designed exhibition and entertainment centre, which opened in 2001.
The 2000-year-old regional capital of Limousin, Limoges, is an important rail and route crossroad, famous for the production of extremely fine porcelain. The nearby city of Aubusson is noted for its tapestries (a local tradition dating back to the eighth century). Both cities are also famous for their enamel.
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