Notre-Dame-du-Port Basilica in Clermont-Ferrand, one of 10 ‘Major’ Romanesque churches of Basse-Auvergne, strikes by its rich ornamentation and architecture
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Lavoute-Chilhac – Notre-Dame Trouvée
Lavoute-Chilhac, a medieval village nestled in a meander of the Allier, is famous for a pebble relic, Notre-Dame -rouvée, kept in Ste-Croix-de-Volte Church
Pounti – Traditional Recipe from Cantal
Pounti, a traditional sucre-sale dish from Cantal and Aveyron in Southern Auvergne, prepared with mincemeat, chard leaves, flour, eggs, milk and prunes
Fete des Paniers de Montsalvy – Baskets Festival
Fete des Paniers de Montsalvy, an annual basketry festival that takes place the last Saturday of July, and aims at reviving and promoting Cantal traditions
Charcoal-burners – Auvergne Charbonniers
Charcoal burning was a traditional activity in Auvergne, a region of Central France known for its extensive forests of oaks, beech and softwood
Chataigneraie region in Cantal – A discovery tour
The southwest of the department of Cantal is known as La Chataigneraie, a region of rolling hills traditionally dedicated to the culture of chestnut trees
Notre-Dame-de-France statue – Puy-en-Velay
Notre-Dame-de-France statue, a monumental Virgin overlooking Le Puy-en-Velay in Auvergne, and cast from the bronze of the canons seized at Sebastopol
Tissu Vichy – Checkered woven fabric
Tissu Vichy, a French checkered cotton fabric known as gingham in English, a pattern Brigitte Bardot made trendy when she used it for her wedding dress
Pastilles de Vichy – Lozenges with digestive properties
Pastilles de Vichy, white octagonal lozenges produced from the mineral waters of the spa town of Vichy in Auvergne and known for their digestive properties
Vichy-Celestins – mineral water source – Auvergne
Vichy-Celestins is a naturally carbonated mineral water that springs in the park of the former Couvent des Celestins in the spa town of Vichy in Auvergne
Traveling to Auvergne from the UK
Traveling to Auvergne from the UK by means of air, land and sea is easy as the region is served by one airport, excellent rail and road networks
Fairy Chimney – Cheminee des Fees de Cotteuges
The fairy chimney of Cotteuges in Auvergne, a column of clay protected from millennia of erosion by a block of lava projected during a volcanic eruption