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Auvergne Central France boasts a certain pastoral beauty that goes unmatched throughout the rest of Europe. Rolling hills revealing patchwork meadows of lighter and darker green lightly interspersed with yellow daisies, crying out their golden radiance beneath the bright sun and unending blue sky – the tranquil farmland of the region epitomizes simple way of life which has been preserved for centuries, despite numerous invasions and games of power directed from the big cities of Europe.
That’s not to say Auvergne’s landscape doesn’t verge on the dramatic itself. After all, Auvergne is home to one of France’s most impressive natural parks, the Regional Nature Park of the Volcanoes of Auvergne. That’s right – volcanoes. Although they’re long since dead, these prehistoric monsters left behind a breathtaking landscape. Cézalier Mountain, for instance, towers over 1500 meters, closely followed by its formidable neighbors Cantal Mountain and Dore Mountain. Obviously, all sorts of sports including hiking, mountain climbing, mountain biking, cycling and even hang gliding can be enjoyed in this national park.
Indeed, despite its sleepy mood, Auvergne is full of fun things to do and exciting activities. Among the man-made attractions and sites to see, the villages interspersed throughout Auvergne include the Rochefort. A charming destination that is often undiscovered by tourists barreling through the better-branded French provinces, Rochefort locals are adept street performers who epitomize French hospitality with their friendly, laid-back yet sophisticated and graceful way of being. Vichy, along the Allier River, is a historical resort town whose thermal baths made it was the place to be among 19th century celebrities which caught the eye of Napoleon the III, whose presence was cause for a true reformation of the town. Definitely worth checking out, as is the shimmering red-roofed jewel of Le Puy-en-Velay, whose Notre Dame Cathedral is the prize of the valley.
There are plenty apartment lodging options throughout the Auvergne countryside, and hotels in the larger towns of Le Puy-en-Velay and Vichy offer exquisite comfort and good value. |
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