Environment
Haute-Loire:
Between the Ardèche and the Sevennes you’ll find the department Haute-Loire, one of the least populated departments of France at which it seems that time stood still. The department is rich of little streams and rivers. The river Allier meanders through the beautiful Gorges d’Haute Allier, the domain of the salmon. In the summer, each day a touristic train drives through the Gorges d’Haute Loire form the middle aged town Langeac. The Haute-Loire is a fantastic region for people who love to walk and who like a virginal nature. During your walk along one of the well marked tracks you can see daffodils, orchids, wild raspberries, many variations of butterflies and birds like buzzards, red and black kites, redbreasts, finches and sometimes a deer, fox, rabbit or pheasant. The French themselves drive long ways to pick mushrooms here in autumn. The capitol of the region is Le Puy-en Velay, one of the starting points of the pilgrims path to Santiago de Compostella.
The Haute-Loire offers you a unique chance to study all stadia of Roman and Gothic architecture in a fairly small area. This region has one of the highest concentrations of middle aged churches and abbey’s in Europe. Some beautiful examples are the abbey of Lavaudieu (15 km) and La Chaise Dieu (18 km), the basilica of Brioude (21 km) and the cathedral Notre-Dame du Puy-en-Velay (49km). All accessible by good roads in less then half an hour except Le Puy which takes you 45 minutes by car or motorbike. Now we mention motorbikes, this region is very well suitable for making motorbike or car tours since the roads are very good and there is not a lot of traffic. Although, when you are making a tour, sometimes remember your not alone on the road, it might happen someone else is using that road also……. Don’t forget to taste the local dishes in one of the restaurants. Lovely dishes prepared with local specialties as the cheeses Cantal, St. Nectaire and Bleu d’Auvergne, sausages, ham’s, mushrooms and tripe. The last one we advise only for the experts. Beside architecture there are several other cultural events. One of them is a initiative of the Regional Parc Livradois-Forez: by following the Route des Metiers you discover ateliers of craftsmen and museums which keep alive old traditions from this beautiful region. You can also visit the famous festival of holy music in La Chaise Dieu which is held each year in august. People from all over the world come here to visit the festival.
The Auvergne:
The Auvergne is a province known for water in all its forms, quiet lakes which hide deep craters, rivers and wild water, waterfalls and sources, all along your walking path. You’ll find water everywhere. The French call it the water source and longs of France. The main river is the Allier which gave the department its name, although the source is just outside the department. The last untamed river of Europe moves its bed according to the highest water level en herewith contributes to shaping the landscape. Perhaps a visit to Chaud-Aigues is very interesting. The water ejecting form the source of the Par is more than 80 degrees hot, the hottest source in Europe.
Page up
