Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region boasts a wide range of attractions, including the city of Lyon, France’s capital of gastronomy, Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest point, the Drôme and Ardèche departments.
The region has preserved a huge number of castles, most of which remain residential. 11 villages of Auvergne are listed in the association of the most beautiful villages in France («Plus Beaux Villages de France»).
The Auvergne owes its name to the powerful Gallic tribe of the Arverni, under whose influence the lands of Languedoc and Aquitaine were located. The capital of the Auvergne region Clermont Ferrand is located at the foot of the Puy de Dome volcano.
Auvergne is a land of volcanoes — the region boasts simply fantastic nature, the main highlight of which is the volcanic landscape with numerous thermal baths. Here is the famous Vichy — a popular thermal center since the 16th century. Vichy, in addition to thermal springs, is interesting with mansions of various eras, from the end of the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century (Belle-Epoque).
There are about 250 religious’ buildings in the Romanesque style in the Auvergne, built between the 11th and 13th Centuries: a unique cultural heritage of the Middle Ages. In addition, here you can see the churches located on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its main attractions are the Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame de l’Assolution, made of black volcanic stone and retaining the original stained-glass windows, and the Romanesque Basilica of Notre Dame du Port, a UNESCO World Heritage List.
There are several parks here at once: the Regional Natural Park of the Auvergne Volcanoes, the Le Park Amusement Park (an amusement park together with the zoo), the Leisure Park and the scientific and cultural center of European volcanology Vulcani. The Auvergne Volcano Park is home to Europe’s largest extinct volcano, Puy Mary.
Auvergne is famous for its cheeses, which are made from the milk of cows grazing on the mountain slopes (Bleu d’Auvergne, Cantal, Fourme d’Ambert and Saint-Nectaire).
