Region : Auvergne
Region : Auvergne
Departments : Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Haut-Loire.
Auvergne - Land of Volcanoes
Across west Auvergne, stretches the largest group of volcanoes in Europe called Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park. The area comprises of Puy's chain & Sancy Massif which are Which are linked to the Cantal mountains by the high plateaux of Artense and Cézallier.This region is scattered with small villages of traditional flat stone roofed houses, winter sports resorts, volcanic lakes and water falls, spa towns, fortified castles and magnificient Romanesque churches. This region is famous for its rich gastronomy. Famous products are truffles,mushrooms& foies gras.
Auvergne is known as the ‘cheese-board of France’. Famous goat's cheese "Rocamadour" is from this region.
Puy De Dôme
In the north, overlooking the Limagne plain and Clermont-Ferrand, lies the Puys chain of around 100 craters dominated by Puy de Dôme.The eruptions in the chain began about 100,000 years ago and continued until only 6000 years ago, with the climax from 12000 to 8000 years ago, so the chain as a whole must be considered dormant and not extinct. Most of the cones and domes are only a few hundred feet (about 100 m) high, but the Puy de Dome is exceptional, rising over1600ft (500 m) above its base. A road now leads to the summit of Puy de Dome, where modern communications towers along with the ruins of a Roman temple can be found.The Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Park is the largest of France’s nature parks, and its landscapes are spectacular. The most famous of these is the Dôme mountains, with 112 cones of volcanoes in just 30 kilometres, and the panoramic view from the Puy de Dôme is something you will never forget.
Bort-les-Orgues
At the borders of France's Auvergne and Limousin region, this charming little town set right on the Dordogne river is situated at the foot of the Orgues, a large volcanic deposit 2 km long and 100 m height. Bort is famous for it's dam and a huge lake that reflects the Château de Val a feudal fortress built in 1440 by the d'Estaing family.