SemiMike

We were drawn here for two reasons: we were looking for an area to visit before a week in the Dordogne (that report to come), and I had seen an article where the cathedral in Le Puy-en-Velay had been voted one of France's most notable monuments. Not much to go on, but visit we did, and we were delighted to find that the region exceeded all our expectations. The volcanic landscape was quite something, the small towns and villages were typically French (and what could be better than that?), and the town of Le Puy-en-Velay was especially notable for its natural and manmade wonders, and our good fortune to be there for the week of their Renaissance Festival.

Like all my reports, this one is in phototravelogue form, with the trip report integrated into the captions of the photos. (If the captions do not show, just click on the "i" in the white circle to get them started.) Here are the links to the various places visited.

La Maison des Chazes was our excellent home for the week, thanks to the warm hospitality of Isabelle and Claude. (You can learn more about them at http://www.lamaisondeschazes.eu/-House-.html.): https://goo.gl/photos/ZSGRtwizSoaazK3D6

Lyon: https://goo.gl/photos/w1vCRt6gLR5PH4pz8

Clermont-Ferrand: https://goo.gl/photos/Bfe9nExGhhYoHatv6

Villages & country drives (including Polignac, Chavaniac-Lafayette, La Chaise-Dieu, Brioude, Nonette, and Issoire : https://goo.gl/photos/cvMhnrNosYY3LxA3A

Le Puy-en-Velay: https://goo.gl/photos/zv5ech1Gd5NFCp1m7

Leely2

Wonderful photo essay. I have wanted to visit the Auvergne for a while now, based mainly on photo like yours. How exciting to tour the chateau where Lafayette was born. Do you imagine the area is good for walking/hiking?

Thank you for posting!

kerouac

Excellent photos.

Looks like we were there at almost exactly the same time.

http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...e-puy-en-velay

SemiMike

"Do you imagine the area is good for walking/hiking?"

Well, the Le Puy cathedral has long been an important pilgrimage stop on the Santiago de Compostela, so there's been a considerable amount of hiking through here!

Kerouac, thanks for your photoessay - excellent as always. Great to see what we saw through another pair of eyes.

rhon

We spent a week near Brioude in 2012 and visited several of the places you mentioned. We did a day trip down to Le Puy. The day we visited La Chaise Dieu ( in April ) there was a late snow fall and the drive up through the Livradois forest was magical and the steps up to the church covered in snow. It brings back memories.
The Auvergne does not get mentioned a lot , but we have also spent time in the Allier which is different -very rural, pretty villages, rivers and lovely churches. We are in France at the moment and spent a week in the Canal near Salers in September -beautiful countryside and villages, and lovely cheeses and interesting regional food such as pounti. The walk up Pay Mary is great and there did seem to be lots of other walking trails.
The Auvergne has lots to offer and is perhaps a little below the radar of overseas tourists - we are Australian.
Thanks for the memories.

Leely2

Thank you both for the tips. My ideal holidays involve interesting historical sights and lots of walking. Seems there is much in the Auvergne to recommend.

Christina

thanks for the reports, I'm thinking of going there next summer

kerouac

The Tour de France will be in Le Puy-en-Velay on 17-18 July 2017 which is something to keep in mind, either as a reason to be there at that time or as a period you might want to avoid.