The Massif Central is the keystone of
France, holding the country together
by the sheer force of its grandeur.
It is surprisingly little known beyond
its sprinkling of spas and the major
cities of Clermont-Ferrand,
Vichy and Limoges.
This remarkable, remote and rugged
region is one of France's best-kept
secrets.
The huge central plateau of ancient
granite and cristalline rock that makes
up the Massif Central embraces the
dramatic landscapes of the Auvergne,
Limousin, Aveyron and
Lozère.
Once a testing cross-roads for pilgrims,
and strung with giant volcanoes, it is a
region of unsuspected richness, from the
spectacular towns of Le Puy-en-Velay, to
the unique treasure of Conques.
With its crater lakes and hot springs,
the Auvergne is the Massif
Central's lush volcanic core, an outdoor
paradise offering activities from hiking
in summer to skiing in winter.
It also has some of France's most
beautiful Romanesques churches, medieval
castles and Renaissance palaces.
To the east are the mountains ranges of
Forez, Livardois and Velay; to the west
are giant chains of extinct volcanoes,
the Monts Dômes, Monts Dore
and the Monts of Cantal.
The Limousin, on the
north-western edge of the Massif
Central, is gentler country with green
pastures and blissfully empty roads.
The Aveyron spreads into the
southwest from the Aubrac mountains,
carrying with it the rivers Lot,
Aveyron and Tarn through
gorges and valleys with their
cliff-hanging villages.
To the east in the Lozère are the
Grands Causses, the vast,
isolated uplands of the Cévennes.
Then barren plateaux give farmers a poor
living, but have been a favourite route
with adventurous travellers across the
centuries.
The region's capital is
Clermont-Ferrand.
As with all of France the
local currency is the Euro. Whether
renting property to move or
holiday here, more information about
Auvergne can be found
here.
Alsace |
Aquitaine |
Auvergne |
Brittany |
Burgundy |
Center |
Champagne-Ardenne |
Corsica |
Franche-comte
Languedoc-Roussillon |
Limousin |
Lorraine |
Lower-Normandy |
Midi-Pyrenees |
North-Calais |
Paris-Isle-of-France
Pays-de-la-Loire |
Picardy |
Poitou-Charentes |
Provence-Alpes-Azur |
Rhone-Alps |
Upper-Normandy |
