Massif Central - Lonely Planet
Transcription
Massif Central - Lonely Planet
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Massif Central POP 1.34 MILLION Includes Clermont-Ferrand. . . . 539 Vichy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543 Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne. . . . . . . . . . 547 Volvic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 Puy de Dôme . . . . . . . 547 Le Mont-Dore . . . . . . . 548 Parc Naturel Régional Livradois-Forez. . . . . . 553 Le Puy-en-Velay . . . . . 555 Gorges de l’Allier . . . . 560 La Montagne Protestante. . . . . . . . . 560 Best Places to Eat ¨¨Maki Nova (p559) ¨¨La Golmotte (p550) ¨¨Les Caudalies (p546) ¨¨Chez Laurette (p552) ¨¨Le Sisisi (p542) Why Go? In one of the wildest, emptiest and least-known corners of France, the Massif Central, you can feel nature’s heavy machinery at work. Below ground, hot volcanic springs bubble up to supply Vichy and Volvic with their famous mineral waters, while high in the mountains trickling streams join forces to form three of France’s mightiest rivers: the Dordogne, the Allier and the Loire. The Massif Central and surrounding Auvergne region remains deeply traditional. Reliant on agriculture and cattle farming, it shelters the country’s largest area of protected landscape with two huge regional parks: the Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne and its neighbour, the Parc Naturel Régional Livradois-Forez. On-tap outdoor activities include heady hiking trails, plunging ski slopes, paragliding off shapely volcanic summits, and setting off on an age-old pilgrimage – sustained by some of the halest, heartiest food in France. When to Go Clermont-Ferrand °C/°F Temp Rainfall Inches/mm 40/104 6/150 30/86 5/125 4/100 20/68 3/75 10/50 Best Places to Stay 2/50 0/32 -10/14 1/25 0 J F M A M J J A S O N D ¨¨Le Chastel Montaigu (p551) ¨¨Auberge d’Aijean (p552) ¨¨Hôtel Saluces (p553) ¨¨Hôtel Notre Dame (p548) ¨¨Le Moulin Ferme-Auberge (p560) Jun Experience the region’s hiking trails in their full springtime splendour. Dec–Mar Max out on winter sports at Le Mont-Dore or catch ClermontFerrand’s shortfilm festival. Aug See sacred Vierges Noires (Black Madonnas) paraded on Assumption Day. D 40 km 20 miles · / N145 A ll i e r A71 igoin D # \ Chaufailles \ # àD # 8\ # Vichy Gannat CREUSE SAÔNEET-LOIRE ne 0̧ ALLIER Montluçon e Roan # \ Guéret (9km) Moulins (13km) C anal d 538 e # 00 Aubusson # \ D # \ 0̧ # ] 3 Clermont# D906 Ferrand # ÷ # Condat \ Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne D922 0̧ D680 # \ # \ Col de Serre CANTAL Salers (1364m) # 2\ # Murat Puy Rc A75 # \ Mary (1787m) R Plomb du # \ Cantal nt (1855m) St-Flour sd u Ca n tal Aurillac re Massiac 0̧ N102 # èr e Go rg es de la Tr uy D921 0̧ D590 N9 · / La M Espalion AVEYRON # \ LOZÈRE ide de Peyre (1179m) ger ar Z Roc r lie 'Al e e l gn s d ver rge Au 0̧ N88 · / Le Puyen-Velay # \ 7 t Lo LOT HAUTELOIRE Langeac Mende \ # D Lyon (40km) La ChaiseDieu D15 · / Go N122 # \ o è uy Tr # \ 0̧ # \ Ambert M 0̧ Montbrison St-Étienne \ # Firminy # \ Brioude · / N120 # \ N89 · / # \ 0̧ Mauriac 0̧ Feurs A72 · / # \ ez or CORRÈZE # \ uF # \ N7 / · · / N82 LOIRE Col de St-GervaisGuéry c t sous-Meymont on \ St-Nectaire # # La Bourboule \ 6 M # # \ # \ 4 # ÷ # D996 \ Le Mont- R Murol # Issoire Parc Naturel Dore Puy de Régional Sancy du Livradois(1885m) Forez Ussel Do rd o ore sD # \ 5 # Thiers sd nt Mo M as si f C e ntr a l C en t ral H i ghl i gh t s A72 / · mes Volcan de DôR Lemptégy æVulcania # Orcival ÷ # # \ n ts Mo Puy de # 1 R Dôme Parc Naturel Régional de Millevaches en Limousin e gn Riom # \ N141 N89 · / A89 · / RHÔNE re 0̧ Limoges (50km) PUY-DEDÔME # \ i Lo use Cre Roanne La Montagne Protestante # \ 9 # Le Chambonsur-Lignon R Mt Mézenc (1753m) # \ Langogne ARDÈCHE 0̧ Aubenas N102 Lot Massif Central Highlights 1 Scaling the panoramic summit of Puy de Dôme (p547) on foot or the cog railway 4 Schussing down slopes or riding the century-old funicular to mountaintop trails in Le Mont-Dore (p548) 7 Climbing the staircase to 2 Swooning over pastures 5 Watching artisans at work 8 Soaking up the mineralrich spa waters in belle époque Vichy (p543) 3 Marvelling at the 6 Meeting the cows who make one of France’s most famous AOC cheeses at StNectaire (p551) 9 Exploring an Auvergnat and rugged volcanic scenery around Salers (p553) Michelin brothers’ influence at the Michelin museum in Clermont-Ferrand (p539) at Musée de la Coutellerie in Thiers (p554) the cave chapel of St-Michel d’Aiguilhe, atop a pinnacle in Le Puy-en-Velay (p555) village’s proud WWII Resistance history in Le-Chambon-surLignon (p560) # \