Regions of France: Overhead
Region around the central massif (Massis Central, Massis Centrau, Massif Central) – one of the most beautiful places in France. Country without roads, without fashionable hotels and gold shores, where any journey is associated with certain difficulties, nevertheless attracts attention to many thousands of tourists. And this is not surprising – almost in the center of the abundant cultural monuments of France, there is an extensive highland with a huge number of extinct volcanoes (in all of them here more than 450), many short mountain ranges, narrow river valleys, green forests and pastoral villages who have retained the spirit "Old France".
The heart of the region is the historical area of Auvergne (Auvergne, Auvernhe, Auvernha), which includes modern departments Ardesch, Cantal, Upper Loir and Puy de House, as well as the Mountain Array. This is one of the poorest areas in France, most of which lies at the heights of about 1000 meters above sea level, so extremely few arable land. However, this is a true treasure for fans of active recreation and ethnographers, famous for their majestic landscapes, the origins of many rivers of the country’s south and surprisingly untouched nature.
Capital of the region – Clermont Ferrand. 15 km north of Clermont Ferran lies the town of ry. Nearby are the Abbey Mosak (XII in.) With a beautiful church, which was a stone supplier for the most beautiful buildings in the region of Volvik (Volvic), as well as the resort towns of Chatel Guyon (Chatel Guyon, more than 30 thermal sources) and ROA (ROYAT).
Famous Volcanic Regional Natural Park Volkan-d’Roeln www.Parc-Volcans-Auvergne.COM (Parc Des Volcans d’Auvergne) covers the entire western edge of the central massif, from Vichy in the north to the Aurist in the south. Under the protection there are three groups of extinct volcanoes – Mont-House (Monts-Domes), Mont-Dor (Mont-Dore, Monts-dore, the highest point – Mount Sansi, 1885 m) and Mont-du-Kantal (Plon Du-Kantaltal , Monts du Cantal) interconnected by Mont Mountains and High Plateau Artens (Artense) and Cezalier (Cezallier). This is a huge and poorly populated country of brass pastures, deep gorges, waste and volcanic rocks, with a modest, but possessing special charm nature. Office Park is in Chateau de Monlozier (Chateau de Montlosier, 20 km south-west of Clermont Ferran) and is supported by a number of regional offices, each of whom is a kind of museum dedicated to various topics: flora and fauna, shepherds, peat swamps and so on. Here you can take more detailed maps of the trail laid through the most picturesque areas of the park, and walk on them on foot or drive on horseback and bikes.
And 50 km south of Clermont-Ferran begins the sings of a volcanic massif Mont-Dor, famous for its steep rocks, deep gorges and picturesque formations of relief. Capital of the region – town MON-DOR (Le Mont-dore, 50 km south-west from Clermont Ferran) has long turned into a popular thermal resort, which is often called "World Asthma Treatment Center". And just 7 km north-west resort town La Burbul (La Bourboule) is just as reasonable "Capital of treatment of allergies". Towering over all this Top Sansi (Puy de Sancy, 1885 m) is one of the most popular tourist sites in the country, and the lying slopes of the Park Fenester and Plateau Charlan (1300 m) are recognized skiing and trekking centers.
Also good by monks in the XII century village Orsivale With its stunningly beautiful Romanesque church of Notre Dame, Lake Servieres and Guri (Guery), "Basalt OrgaN" Valley Fonzalad, Tiny Resort Saint Necter-le-Ba www.VILLE-SAINT-NECTAIRE.FR with a magnificent romance church and numerous megaliths around the town, a powerful medieval castle in the town Murol (Murol), Old Village Demon (BESSE) with its characteristic curly streets and houses of the XV century, as well as Summer Spep Resort Super-Besse and Forest Paven 5 km west of the village.
Mountain array Kantal (Monts Du Cantal) forms the southern border of Volkan-D’Roelne Park. Having almost 80 km in diameter and up to 1855 meters in height, it is one of the largest volcanic arrays in the world, resembling air without a wheel without a rim. Its center is formed by three large conical peaks Plon du-Kantal (1855 m), Puy-Marie (1787 m) and Puy de Pair Ars (1686 m), from where beautiful wooded valleys are running out in all directions, between which huge Pastures, which for many centuries were a stronghold of life in Kantal. Famous Yellow Cantal Cheese and no less famous ham "Rod" From here. The massif is laid many pedestrian trails and a special road of Route des Cretes, crossing the most picturesque mountainous areas.
