Skiing in Auvergne?

If you are going skiing in France, you would probably choose somewhere in the Alps or possibly the Pyrenees but would you have thought of the Auvergne? Yes, the Auvergne in central France has some ski resorts. Of course, it is cheaper and less busy than the main resorts. Less hustle and bustle and plenty of other activities available for the holiday maker.  YourFrenchHolidays have a feature on Skiing in the Auvergne - here is an extract ....

Massif du Sancy:
The diversity of Auvergne’s resorts and geography means there’s plenty of choice when it comes to selecting your station de ski for the week. In the Massif du Sancy the main resorts are Mont Dore and Super-Besse.

Le Mont Dore is one France’s best-kept skiing secrets. Sitting at the base of the Auvergne’s highest summit Le Puy du Sancy, it has maintained its traditional villagey feel while providing superb facilities and 85kms of trails linking it to Super Besse. Off-piste you can learn about traditional Auvergne activities such as cheesemaking, enjoy local produce in the many authentic restaurants and generally enjoy the nightime atmosphere in a safe and welcoming environment.

Super Besse, meanwhile, sits just above two lovely villages, Besse and St-Anastaise and in addition to great skiing for skiers of all abilities it has plenty of entertainment on hand too.

Also in Cantal is Le Lioran, the third of the Auvergne’s main resorts, which offers the opportunity to ski down a volcano, the imposing Puy Mary.

The resort is a great place for people who enjoy a wide range of winter sports. There are 42 pistes over 60kms for downhill skiing (spread out over 150 hectares), accessed by cable car, a detachable chair lift, 8 chairlifts and 13 ski tows. Here you can try your hand at a timed slalom course and it’s also perfect for cross-country skiing - there are 20 km of marked pistes from the Cirque de Font d’Alagnon and more than 75 km from the Col de Prat de Bouc.

Chartreix-Sancy
If you prefer a smaller resort, head to Chastreix-Sancy, Les Estables in Haute-Loire which offers good Nordic skiing as well as dog-sledding, Prabouré or La Montagne Bourbonnaise – both offer yet more off-the-beaten track tranquillity and ski opportunities.

Two of the Auvergne’s destinations, Mont Dore and Super-Besse, have received the prestigious Famille Plus label thanks to the effort they have put into the quality of the facilities devoted to children and their families. This means that they are committed to looking after children aged 3 and over, providing winter activities and events and reserving areas especially for them (baby-changing tables, games areas, etc.)

Read the full article: Skiing holidays in France: Discover the Auvergne

Video: Skiing in Auvergne

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Don't Neglect Cantal in the Auvergne

One of the forgotten regions is the Auvergne, and the department of Cantal is a very attractive area to visit. Property in the Auvergne is cheap too. YourFrenchHolidays.com are featuring the Cantal department. Here is an extract to whet your appetite ...

Take a trip to Cantal, the tranquil and stunningly beautiful department in the heart of the volcanic Auvergne region of central France, and you will experience the rugged great outdoors, with some of the finest scenery in France.

Here’s what you can do while you are there, from outdoor activities to historic sites and towns to explore.

There is an eclectic abundance of fine paysages to enjoy, from the striking gorges of Lot and Truyère to the wooded areas of La Châtaigneraie and Aubrac’s wild moorland.

The Monts du Cantal form a major part of the Parc Naturel Regional des Volcans d’Auvergne and in Cantal you will find the iconic Puy Mary – standing at an impressive 1,787 metres altitude! It’s little wonder that here on these huge ridges you will find paragliders and hang-gliders leaping into the unknown for a serene flight to remember. Brave visitors to the region can try their arm at this exhilarating adrenaline rush.

For those that prefer to have at least some contact with solid ground, this is a perfect region to enjoy some mountain bike trails. There are endless routes to navigate, with the Ligue Régionale d'Auvergne de Cyclotourisme organizing round trips of more sedate cyclo-touring across the whole of the Auvergne, including a 260-mile long excursion around Cantal.

Hikers will have no limit to the kind of walks they embark upon – with huge valleys, nature parks and even riverside and lakeside jaunts to choose from. You can even trek up the Puy Mary itself – if you are well stocked with snacks and drinks! Talking of which, the region’s cooked meats and cheeses will be found on many a menu and offer serious sustenance for the active after a hard day’s fresh air!

Full article and lovely photos: French Holiday Ideas | Discover the Cantal in the Auvergne

More Resources:
Auvergne Tourism
Cantal Tourism

Auvergne Video

http://vimeo.com/auvergne/auvergnefrance-uk

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Forgotten Auvergne

Auvergne in Central France is much overlooked. But this rural region is well worth a visit with its splendid landscapes.

The Auvergne region comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.

The region contains many volcanoes, although the last confirmed eruption was around 6,000 years ago. They began forming some 70,000 years ago, and most have eroded away leaving plugs of unerupted hardened magma that form rounded hilltops known as puys.

In the region surrounding Clermont-Ferrand, the highest mountain is 1,885m (6,180 ft). From north to south, with a small ascent around the Plateau de Millevaches (978m/3,200 ft) the terrain becomes flatter and rockier. The Auvergne is 25 per cent woodland, 45 per cent grassland, 20 per cent arable land and 10 per cent other uses (including urban areas).

Sparsely populated, the Auvergne boasts a fine natural and cultural heritage, including beautiful valleys, large expanses of coniferous forests, and spectacular hillscapes. It is a region much appreciated by ramblers and nature lovers, as well as by people in search of a holiday far from the madding crowd.

References:
Auvergne Tourism
Auvergne Property

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Moving to the Auvergne

Interesting article about Moving to Auvergne from the suite101.com site. Extract here:

"Auvergne is called the Green Lung of France and is made up of two departments (Puy-de-Dome and Cantal) as well as parts of departments in neighbouring regions. The overlap comes from the modern-day Auvergne being larger than the region it once was.

Auvergne is a tourist attraction for its natural beauty. It is the home of the European Volcano park, (Vulcania) and live volcanoes are hard to resist when it comes to sightseeing. Auvergne is not, however, overly popular with expats, and those who do relocate here are strongly recommended to learn passable French before they arrive as there is no base for English-speakers. While this can make expats feel somewhat isolated at first (figuratively and literally – Auvergne is not the most accessible region in the country) there are benefits."

Read more at Suite101: Moving to Auvergne: An Overview of Auvergne for Expatriates

For a selection of Auvergne Properties

Photo by maiptitfleur

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The Allier, the least known department in the Auvergne

Most British people are barely aware of the Allier. They drive through it on their way to more exotic parts of France but rarely stop to explore it. Yet it is one of the most interesting and beautiful departments, full of history and culture, with hardly any industry and very little traffic on the roads. The heart of the Allier is known locally as the Bocage Bourbonais, with the lovely spa town of Bourbon l’Archambault, the former seat of the legendary Bourbon kings at is centre. The area is not as dramatic as some other parts of France, or even the Puy de Dôme, the Haut Loire or the Cantal, the other departments which make up the Auvergne.  But the term bocage refers to countryside of gently rolling hills, enormous horizons that seem to go on forever, small meadows, forest, woodland, hedgerows, rivers and lakes. The farming here is almost exclusively white charolais cattle and sheep.  The only arable crops are a little wheat or barley grown for the straw to be used as winter bedding, sunflowers and a little rape for oil. This makes for abundant wildlife; birds, hedgehogs, hares, red squirrels, pine martins, deer, coypu, wild boar and of course, fish.

The Allier also boasts the forest of Tronçais, the largest oak forest in Europe. It was planted by Louis the 14th’s chancellor, Colbert just before the French Revolution.  He persuaded the King that in order to have enough oak to replenish the French fleet of warships in 150 years time they needed a substantial programme of planting. Oak trees are indigenous to the Bourbonais and they grow in all the hedgerows. Now the forest supplies the finest oak casks for the wine industry, abundant wood for building, furniture and flooring, as well as renewable energy for heating.

Most of the Allier is between 150 and 400 metres above sea level with mountains of around 1,500 metres in the south east of the department.  This means that the weather tends to be warm and relatively dry. December, January and February can be very cold with heavy night frosts but are usually bright and sunny during the day. It is not unusual to be able to sit outside for lunch during much of November and occasionally in February. This contrasts with the Puy de Dôme, the Cantal and the Haute Loire where the winters start in September and spring comes late.  On the other hand, if you live in the centre of the Allier it is possible to be on the ski slopes in an hour and a half.

The Allier also boasts more than 300 Romanesque churches, more than 500 moated and renaissance castles, manor houses, stately homes and fortified farms. There are medieval villages, reasonably priced cafés, bars and restaurants serving the local gastronomy. Souvigny, the historical capital of the Bourbonnais boasts the first monastery to open outside Cluny which is still active today. The Allier is Europe’s last unspoilt river and you can spot a salmon from the bridge linking the Bocage Bourbonnais to the Sologne Bourbonais east of Moulins. There are Jazz festivals in the Bocage; mediaeval festivals; classical music in the churches. Village fêtes and brocantes, a cross between a boot sale and antiques fair, throughout the summer;  old book fairs, riding, golf, tennis, cycling, skiing, walking, canoeing down the gorges. Or you can simply enjoy the unspoilt countryside and its traditional way of life. This is a region begging to be discovered with some of the least expensive property in France – check out Allier Property.

Adrian Collett
http://www.coeurdelafrance.co.uk & http://propertyfrench.com

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