Auvergne: a paradise of tranquility

Located in the centre of France, the Auvergne region is one of the last unexplored areas of France. Sparsely populated, it shows off the beauty of nature as it was thousands of years ago. Not too far from the French Alps and the French Riviera, the Auvergne region is made for you if you want to be close to all attractions but live far from the hustle and bustle of city life. The local specialities are cherries, whether fresh, served as clafoutis, or distilled into a reviving eau de vie. The little town of Vieillevie celebrates the first crop of the year with a delightful cherry festival.

A mountainous region:

In the middle of the Massif Central, Auvergne is the only French region entirely covered by a mountain range (except the department of Allier in the North of the region). This region, which is also a French holiday destination, has a unique identity well known due to its famous volcanoes (Vulcania, a famous amusement park, is entirely devoted to them). Although the last confirmed eruptions were 5,000 to 6,000 years ago or so, most have eroded away leavings areas of unerupted hardened magma that formed hilltops known as Puys. Amongst them, the most famous are the Puy de Dôme and the Puy de Sancy (the latter being the highest mountain in the Massif Central). Auvergne is known as the largest volcanic area in Europe and that in turn gives you a different impression of the range.

The region is predominantly agricultural and is attracting more and more tourists thanks to its international companies such as, Michelin a big player in the tyre industry, the Danone Group, or the water Volvic, amongst other medium-sized businesses which have contributed to the dynamism of its capital Clermont-Ferrand. Boasting a great economic and industrial potential, Auvergne is creating more and more jobs.

As regards the local area, the Auvergne region includes many stone properties with huge amounts of lands. You will often find farmhouses with livestock for sale. The quiteness, the unpolluted air and large expanses of greenery make many happy, so if you dream about buying a property far from it all and maybe developing an animal activity, Auvergne is ideal for you. Even today, hamlets full of recent houses and developments remain rare in the area.

The main attractions:

Discovering nature by hiking, biking and skiing in the 3 ski resorts in the Massif Central are the main local activities in this particular French area. Visit Le Mont Dore, Super-Besse and Le Lioran. Less well known than the resorts in the Alps, the ski areas of the Massif Central are more family-orientated. Nevertheless, there are magnificent golf courses with stunning views over the mountains. Like in many ski resorts in the French Alps, paragliding and hang-gliding are commonly practised activities in the area. In addition, the local resorts provide impressive facilities regarding tracks and racing. For example, Super-Besse hosted the Andros Trophy several times, a famous car race on a round iced circuit.

The Massif Central has great plains, peaks and valley floors… You‘ll find an infinite number of panoramas. The range stretches from the Auvergne (Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire) in Aveyron through to Monts du Forez (Loire), Lozère, Cevennes and the Ardèche. From the Bourbonnais to the Black Mountains, this a wild area, steeped in tradition and history.

The locals are kind and generous and look forward to meeting you!