The Four Seasons of the Auvergne

The Auvergne is one of Frances best kept secrets. Yet it is hardly hidden away in some distant corner. On the contrary, you will find it bang in the middle of the country as bold a brass saying ‘look at me, here I am, come and have a look around!. So why, so far, has this beautiful area of France remained largely unnoticed by the British, who would seemingly rather travel around or through the area to holiday in the more populous, and far more crowded, regions further south. The French love it, and descend in numbers for their annual holidays.

So, why go there? Perhaps for the stunning beauty and variety of its landscape, from the vast fertile plains of the Allier in the North to the unique volcanic peaks of the Puy de Dome and Cantal departments together with its many rivers and lakes the Auvergne deserves its reputation as one of the most beautiful places in France.

The Auvergne is home to the ‘Monts Dome’, a range of mountains located to the south west of Clermont Ferrand, made up of over 80 volcanoes which became extinct less than 4000 years ago. This stunning terrain has several high peaks (known as Puys) with the imposing Puy de Dome overlooking Clermont Ferrand reaching 1465m and the Puy de Sancy an impressive 1886m, the highest peak in France outside of the Alps and Pyrenees.

Most visitors enjoy the region in the high summer and winter (for skiing) but the area really does offer something for the tourist all year round.

Spring

Ahh… the snows have melted on the higher ground and the true beauty of the landscape is revealed as the trees emerge from their winter torpor and start to re-gain their healthy green complexion. And of course the blossom is out in force decorating the landscape with a palette of many colours. Life is breathed back into the countryside and the terrain becomes a sea of green once more, enhancing the many panoramic views which greet you, seemingly at every turn.

This season is excellent for walking. From the casual ramble to the more serious hike the area provides a multitude of choice along the many marked tracks and paths. The weather is pleasant and generally warm although do not discount the possibility of the occasional thunderstorm on the higher ground where you may also find the last pockets of snow clinging to the hillsides.

Cyclists are also well catered for. Road cyclists can tackle the challenging mountainous regions (the Auvergne hosted two stages of the Tour de France in 2008) as well as the gentler plains of the Limagne region bordering River Allier. Off road enthusiasts have an abundant choice of marked trails and woodland tracks to explore.

Summer

This is obviously the most popular season with holidaymakers and as such is the busiest time of the year. However, compared to other French regions the area does not feel as crowded and getting about is fairly easy – but you must have a car.

With the summer foliage in full bloom the area plays host to a variety of tourists, not only the enthusiastic rambler or cyclist but also lovers of many other outdoor activities such as rock climbing, hang gliding, horse riding, fishing…the list is seemingly endless. Of course these activities are not limited to the summer alone and many outdoor pursuit enthusiasts prefer to visit in the spring or autumn when the climate is more suited to their sport, it is less crowded and the scenery is none the less stunning.

For the family visitor there are many excellent campsites, most of which have a high standard of facilities. Although the area does not have a coastline there are many beautiful lakes to enjoy, most of which have a beach and dedicated and well patrolled swimming areas. Of course, for such a popular tourist area there is a plentiful supply of decent hotels, gites and rental accommodation to choose from. Many are less expensive than other areas of France, perhaps contributing to the areas popularity with the French.

Autumn

There are no shortage of trees in the Auvergne. The Domainal Forest of Troncais in the Allier, covers over 27,000 acres and is the largest oak forest in Europe. But even this is dwarfed by the vast ‘La Chataigneraie’ area of the Cantal which boasts over 500,000 acres of chestnut trees. With so many trees and so many panoramic views you would expect the Auvergne to offer one of the best places in Europe to see the autumn colours. You will know, of course, the rich diversity of colours which this season can display and the region is perfect to experience such arboreal beauty at this time of year.

The climate is generally milder than the UK making conditions ideal for travelling by car, foot or bike to view this wonderful spectacle.

Winter

To the average ski enthusiast the Auvergne is not an area associated with skiing. However, although not anywhere near as vast as the Alps, the area does have three decent sized ski resorts with some very good facilities.

The two main classified ski-centres of Superbesse and Le Mont Dore are located on the south and north side of the Puy du Sancy respectively and are linked to form an overall ski terrain of 85km. In December 2008 a new cable car opened in Superbesse improving access to the summit; the Puy de la Perdix (1850m). The other major ski centre is Le Liorian in the Cantal which offers 40 downhill runs and several kilometres of cross country ski trails.

Several smaller resorts combine with the above to form the Grandes Espaces d’Auvergne, where you will find over 200km of downhill pistes and 900km of cross country pistes. The region is best suited to beginners and intermediate level skiers and is an excellent place to learn to ski.

The Auvergne, a place for all seasons with a surprising variety of landscape and activities in one place. Why not give it a try?