However, each of the four départements of Auvergne (Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme) provides visitors with something unique ~ volcanic parks, dramatic mountains, dense forests, open meadowlands, and lovely rivers including the Dordogne, Loire, Allier and Cher.  The rural Auvergne is surrounded by more popular tourist regions, yet it is worthy of your undivided attention, begging to be explored ~ not just driven through to get from one place to another. 

We will take you to just two of the four départements in this edition of FRANCE On Your Own: Puy-de-Dôme and Allier.  (In a subsequent issue we will visit the Cantal and Haute-Loire.)  We'll spend a day in Vichy, an ancient spa town offering unique architecture, upscale shops and fine dining.  We will take you to Château de Vollore, exploring its grounds and its history, and perhaps we will tempt you to become a future guest. 

The Massif Central is a large, diverse granite plateau infused with spectacular beauty, often called 'la France profonde' ~ the rugged heartland of the country.   The Massif encompasses nine départements, four of which make up Auvergne.  With few large cities, this part of France is a 'must see' on anyone's itinerary to experience the beauty of its valleys and mountains, castles, lush forests, Romanesque churches, charming villages, delicious regional cuisine, and wonderful local people.

The highest peaks of the Massif are in Auvergne, a rich land of green pastures and gentle foothills.  Hiking, fishing and boating are popular pastimes.  In the winter months, cross-country skiing is very popular, but, because the local mountains are not extremely high or always covered in snow, there is less downhill skiing.  It is an ideal destination for lovers of the out-of-doors, but certainly not limited to those pursuits. 

Throughout the area castles exist that are open to the public for visits.  We have counted 45, only seven of which offer bed and breakfast accommodations or dining facilities.  The majority have historic tours, museums, expositions, son et lumière and concerts. 

The Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne lies west of Clermont-Ferrand in the Puy-de-Dôme, a region of extinct volcanoes, and is one of many areas within Auvergne that are protected from incursion by any kind of development.  The area is still not overrun by tourists, and the local inhabitants are happy with the level of activity as it is today.

An advantage of a visit to this region, aside from the lovely open roads and lack of crowds, is that prices are still so reasonable.  The available inns are exceptional in quality, as well, which makes it even more desirable. 

One more delight of the Auvergne:  cheese!  Saint-Nectaire, named for the Puy-de-Dôme village, is made from milk of Salers cows feeding on volcanic pastures and is aged in old wine cellars.  A creamy cheese, it is one of many fine cheeses from Auvergne.  Others include cows’ cheese such as Cantal and Bleu d’Auvergne, ewe cheese such as Brebis du Lavort, and the goat cheeses Chevreton du Bourbonnais and Briquette du Forez, among others. 

PUY-DE-DÔME

This département is the large center of Auvergne and is named for the Puy-de-Dôme, a towering volcanic dome which can be reached via an upward spiraling road by car or by hikers using the steeper Roman path.  At the summit is a radio tower, but more notable are the remains of the Roman temple of Mercury.  This is the high point in the Monts Dômes range running north and south just west of the principal city of Clermont-Ferrand.

A glance at a map indicates a lush green countryside due to the rich volcanic soil beneath, creating a very pleasant landscape, especially conducive to leisurely drives  The uncrowded highways and country lanes allow easy access to many sights and attractions. 

Clermont-Ferrand, the birthplace of scientist Blaise Pascal in 1623, is an industrial city and home to the Michelin tire and rubber company, headquartered there since 1830.  But, it is a city with a fascinating history dating back to the Celts who pre-dated a Roman settlement there.  By the 5th century it had a cathedral and was becoming quite important to the church.  In 1095 Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade from the town then known as Clermont. 

In the 12th century the Dukes of Auvergne founded the town of Montferrand, and the two merged into Clermont-Ferrand in the 18th century.  Later, in the 19th century, Madame Daubrée, the niece of the raincoat inventor, Charles Macintosh, created bouncing rubber balls for her children, and then her husband expanded on the idea to found the rubber business (called Barbier) which later became the Michelin Tire Company. 

Worth seeing in Clermont-Ferrand is the black lava cathedral,  Cathédrale de Notre-Dame-de l’Assumption, which is a combination of 12th century Romanesque and 13th century Gothic.  But, a stark contrast is the beautiful Basilique Notre-Dame-du-Port one of the most important Romanesque churches in the region and with an incredible choir loft, intricately carved capitals depicting battle scenes, and a crypt containing a reproduction of the Black Virgin.  Built with volcanic rock, Clermont-Ferrand is often referred to as 'la ville noire', which doesn't take away from its charm but instead makes it quite interesting.  Don't miss Fontaine d’Amboise up hill from the Basilica.  Built in 1515 in black lava, the sculpture looks toward the Puy-de-Dôme.

Other area attractions include the town of Thiers, clinging to the side of a steep ravine over the River Durolle.  This has been a cutlery manufacturing center since the Middle Ages when the Crusaders brought metalworking techniques home to France from the Holy Land.   Waterfalls powered the grindstones creating tableware as well as guillotine blades.  Thiers has some fascinating  old streets with odd names that twist and turn their way through the oldest part of town where you'll find superbly restored houses from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.  Two other significant towns are Orcival known for its Romanesque church, and Issoire, a Protestant stronghold during the Wars of Religion and today home to the 12th century Église de Saint-Austremoine. 

ALLIER

Montluçon is the business center of this département and it boasts a Bourbon château right in the city.  There are two museums, one of musical instruments and the other the Musée d’Arts Décoratifs et Beaux Arts.  Moulins, the seat of the Bourbon Dukes since the 10th century is peaceful, and the main attraction is its Flamboyant Gothic Cathédrale de Notre-Dame.

In Vichy, the old chapel of Saint-Blaise was known for miracles attributed to the Black Virgin and is situated at the back of the modern church with which it is connected.  The old chapel was due for expansion, and, as it was 1925, a modern church in the style of Art Déco was designed by Chanet and Lioget.  Not popular with many, the design was nevertheless accepted and the construction began.  It was completed in 1937 and named Notre-Dame-des-Malades (Our Lady of the Sick) in keeping with Vichy’s reputation for healing waters.  Despite the modern exterior, which we did not find at all offensive, the interior is quite beautiful and rich with the use of marble and onyx and displays a variety of decorating techniques such as mosaics, paintings and the exquisite stained-glass windows of the brothers Mauméjan.  It is truly inspiring and unique, and should not be missed on any visit to Vichy.

Many châteaux dot the landscape of Allier, including the 16th century Château de Lapalisse, a Renaissance castle still inhabited by the descendants of the original owner, Jacques de Chabannes, and just northeast of Vichy by way of the D907.  If you drive through the lovely Besbre Valley you will come upon several châteaux open to the public. Allier’s terrain becomes more gentle as it reaches north to the Burgundy département of Nièvre and the place where the Loire River begins to widen.  But, let's go to Allier’s main attraction:  the spa city of Vichy easily reached from the south on the D906.

Vichy may be best remembered as the headquarters of Marshal Pétain’s puppet government during World War II, and it is forever trying to eradicate that image from people's minds.  That history aside, geography also plays an important role in Vichy ~ the hot and cold springs that have always drawn people to 'take the cure'.   The city was known since Roman times for its curative waters, and in the time of Louis XV it hosted his daughters and Madame Sévigné quite often.  But Napoléon III, for whom buildings and streets are named, made Vichy the place to be when, in 1860, he visited for the first time.  After that, great pains were taken to make the little city attractive to the upper classes, the nobility and the wealthy from around the world.

Today, the original Thermal Establishment is an indoor shopping arcade (expensive) and the damming of the River Allier created a lake where water sports have added to Vichy’s attraction.  In fact, although many elderly live here, its reputation as a sporting center has grown.  Vichy can brag about its parks:  some 250 acres within the city, and they are beautiful.   Long walks on tree studded expanses of grass, playgrounds for children, jogging paths and bandstands are just some of the four parks’ attractions.  During a recent visit, we found the quarter near the River Allier and le Parc des Sources (created in 1810 at the request of Napoléon I) quite pleasant with its Belle Époque architecture, exclusive apparel shops, the Casino, and Opéra House.

Aside from the health and restorative aspects of visiting Vichy, there is also the gambling at the Casino, attending the Opéra and an opportunity to visit the unique and lovely church we mentioned above.  If Vichy has one outstanding feature, it is its architecture.  For instance, the building pictured on our first page is called Galerie Napoléon III, a Roman-Byzantine dome constructed by Badger in 1858.  There are small, fashionable hotels throughout the city, and some fine restaurants.  We had lunch in a tiny, crowded little crêperie, a nice break during our walking tour of the city.  There is a Michelin one-star restaurant, Jacques Decoret, with quite reasonable prices.  We hope you will have the opportunity to visit the Auvergne and will include Vichy on your list of places to see.  Perhaps,  you will even take advantage of one of the three health spas in the city promising relaxation while rejuvenating your body through massage, the baths, aquatic gyms, saunas and more.   À  votre santé et bonnes vacances !
 

It could be seen from miles away, stretched across the crest of a high hill  ~  a tower at each end like sentinels standing guard  ~ drawing us to it like a magnet.  Although it seemed an impossible distance, in a matter of 20 minutes from our first glimpse of Château de Vollore, and after wending our way through rolling landscapes and little hamlets with nothing more than a few well-kept houses and an occasional barn, climbing steadily but gradually, we were in the town of Vollore-Ville. 

Good clear signage had led us most of the way, which is always important to visitors who are exploring an area for the first time.  Earlier in the day, while passing through the cliff-hanger of a city, Thiers, we did notice a sign on a rather ominous back road that told us we could reach Château de Vollore from that direction.  Deciding not to attempt that winding and more mountainous route, we stayed our course along the main highway, the D906 south toward modern Courpiere.   A left turn out of town led us to our destination.

Vollore-Ville’s main road is a little detour off the D7 - almost dead ending at the Château's gate.  It is a quiet, lovely stone village with a post office, a tiny cobbled square, neat village houses, and not too much else.   However, the Château must bring a great deal of tourist traffic through its little streets. The Château has two entrances from town.  One is for tour groups and that gate was locked when we arrived as the season was not quite on.  The farther entrance to the left, down a long driveway with the view of the countryside below, led to the main entrance  -  a stone pillared and wrought iron gate.  The Château draws attention from travelers, and this driveway was lined with the parked cars of those who couldn't enter the grounds but wanted to peek inside the gate or hike down the hillside.  Like us, they probably saw it from miles away and just had to get a closer look!

As guests of the château, we were able to drive our car practically to the door of the châtelet where our room was located.   We were now at the front of the building ~ the east side which looks upon formal gardens and thick woods.  The west façade of the château, where the swimming pool and terrace are located, looks over the downhill slope of lawns where sheep graze, at little farms and villages in the valley below, and to the Monts du Livradois range ~ an incredible view and exactly what we saw from our suite, Mathilde de La Fayette’s apartment.

A winding stone stairway led to our door, a small foyer and a second door, which, when opened, revealed a beautiful large room with windows facing west to the view and north into the lush woodlands.  The room had a lovely fireplace, a mirror over the mantel with an ornate gilded frame, a large round table, polished wooden floors and wonderful windows to the outside world.  It had a large closet and a writing desk as well.  Most impressive, however, was the sitting room cum bath with a grand tub, more large windows, and, in a separate little room, a WC and a basin.  On the other side of our bedroom was a shower room and basin.   A tray with bottled water and candies (including chocolat) was there when we arrived and was replenished the next day.  It was luxurious, quiet and just wonderful!

Monsieur Aubert La Fayette graciously explained the collection of artifacts in the rooms dedicated to their ancestor, General Marquis de La Fayette  — the French hero of the American Revolutionary War.  A close friend of George Washington, the General named his son George Washington de La Fayette.  A silver and enameled trophy given to the General by the American midshipmen of the frigate Brandywine is proudly displayed, protected under a glass dome.  There are letters and other important family  documents relating to his five years assisting the Colonists battle the British (against the wishes of his own king back in France) and his later involvement in the French Revolution back home.  Nearby, there is the château where La Fayette was born which houses a museum dedicated to him and his life.

Breakfast at Château de Vollore was perfect.  The guests gather in the large dining room surrounded by precious family collectibles, beautiful furniture, tapestries and family portraits.  The food is abundant and the coffee is delicious.  We were fortunate to share the long table with a French couple from Paris and two older ladies who were friends their entire lives and were now traveling around France by car.  One lived in the United States to be near her children who had emigrated there, and the other was in Paris.  This was their opportunity to spend time together and see the countryside they both loved.

Monsieur Aubert La Fayette recommend a restaurant for  dinner in nearby Aubusson d’Auvergne, an ancient little town.  Au Bon Coin is a cozy, delightful place with an extensive menu.  We saw it in the 2002 Michelin Red Guide and it was rated “Quite Comfortable”, so we assume it has guest rooms ~ although we didn't see beyond its excellent restaurant.  Their wine selection was very good, the service prompt and courteous, and the prices reasonable.  We liked it so much the first night that we returned for dinner the next! Their phone number is 33.4.73.53.55.78 from outside France and their Fax is 04.73.53.56.29 from within France.  They are closed from December 20 until January 25, and closed for Sunday dinner and all day Monday in the high season. 

The Aubert Lafayette’s offer group tours of their home and grounds during the months of July and August each year.  Individuals may be able to arrange for private tours at the convenience of the owners.  Concerts, receptions and expositions are held on the grounds and in the Salle des Gardes, a grand and quite pleasant fourteenth-century vaulted room on the ground floor of the château, its windows overlooking the western view.

Château de Vollore is located near the eastern edge of the Auvergne (nearly in the département of the Loire of the Rhône-Alpes where you can visit the source of the Loire River), in the département of Puy-de-Dôme.  The drama and beauty of the Massif Central, the kindness of its rural people and the calm of an unhurried pace of life with few tourists to intrude on your daily outings, make this region of France quite wonderful indeed.  Perhaps its peacefulness will create more of a vacation for you if you include Auvergne on your next itinerary.