If you’re motorhoming in Auvergne, you’re passage through the department of Puy-de-Dôme will be marked by the majestic and powerful peaks of the regions chain of volcanoes. The largest in Europe, the peaks of Dôme, Dore, Cézallier and Cantal dominate the region from the north to the south. For 30kms, the peaks of the 110 volcanoes in the Chaîne de Puy line up to create this spectacular landscape, culminating in the peak of Puy de Sancy at 1885m, which can be visited with the help of its cable-car.
Bordering the Chaîne de Puy you will find the family adventure park ‘Vulcania’. Carved out of the lava, most of the attractions are underground. This ‘voyage to the centre of the earth’ is a perfect introduction to the fascinating world of the volcano and its influence on man and is a good starting point if you are visiting the area.
If you’re hiring a motorhome in France or hiring a motorhome in England, pass through the little town of Riom, full of art and history before heading west to Thiers. This town, built in steps up the ravine cut out by the river Durolle, is famous for its knife making industry since the 15th century. Also known in the past for its paper making industry, the town developed thanks to the energy created by its river and the knives of Thiers perpetuate today the history and heritage of the town.
Volvic is a town famous for its black and its white ‘gold’: its black stone, exploited for centuries, slabs of lava cut to demand and polished for use as things such as tiles and work tops; its mineral water, extremely pure, exported throughout the world.
Nestling in the beautiful valley of Chaudefour are the very ancient villages of ‘high’ and ‘low’ Saint Nectaire, famous for its cheese of the same name. From ‘high’ Saint Nectaire, dominated by its roman church, you will have a superb panorama including ‘low’ Saint Nectaire with its thermal spa. You can also visit La Maison de Saint Nectaire if the history of its cheese is of interest or the grottos where the Romans installed their spa baths.
Stop over in one of the Aires de Service in the Puy-de-Dôme before travelling east to sample the Fourme d’Ambert, Ambert being a cheese producing town, the history of which dates from the Gallic period.
If you want to continue your adventure in the Auvergne, check out the Aires de Service in Cantal and the Aires de Service in the Haute-Loire to find a place to stay over.
