Regions of France : Auvergne

Every Francophile has heard of the Auvergne but not that many know exactly where it is. It was hoped that Vulcania, a proposed scientific theme park, would finally put the region on the map in 2001 but its opening date has been put back to 2002.

The Auvergne is the volcanic core of the country gobbling up most of the vast tranche of the central plateau of the Massif Central.

Sarlat market

• Clermont-Ferrand is the region’s commercial centre with its distinctive black buildings made from volcanic rock.

• Vichy still reigns today as the queen of all spa towns, though its name may still be familiar from its WWII associations. Puy en Velay with its lava peaks is a strange sight and the massive craters of Puy de Dôme dominate the landscape.
• Flights to nearby St Etienne make the region easily accessible for a short break.

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Allier

• Belle époque splendour at Vichy draws torrents of visitors keen to take the waters
• Former Bourbon Dukes’ capital Moulins is still important as a trading centre
• Besbre valley includes Château Lapalisse and the pink sandstone Château de Thoury

Cantal

• Aurillac’s theatre festival in August is a continental Edinburgh fringe
• Renaissance Salers with beautifully preserved turreted houses carved from local lava
• Puy Mary at over 1,700 metres looks over the Cantal volcano and is a great picnic spot

Haute-Loire

• The romanesque cloister and streets in unspoilt medieval Lavadieu overflow with geraniums in summer
• Monuments and churches adorn the three volcanic peaks in Puy en Velay
• Parade of the "black Madonna" (carved from cedar) on 15 August

Puy-de-Dôme

• Clermont-Ferrand is the ville noire with buildings made of black volcanic rock – including the cathedral
• Medieval quarter in Clermont-Ferrand reminiscent of Edinburgh back streets
• The massive Puy de Dôme has stunning views across the extinct volcanoes