From the plains to the highest peaks of the Massif Central

Altitudes range from 200 metres in the north of the Allier to almost 1,900 metres in the Monts Dore massif (1,885 metres for the Puy du Sancy), and the Monts du Cantal (1,885 metres for the Lead du Cantal). Characterized by the radiance of its star-shaped valleys, Auvergne offers a wide variety of landscapes and reliefs over short distances. In the south of the region, the Cantal, Margeride, Velay and Vivarais mountains form a vast plateau at altitudes of over 1,000 meters. It is extended to the north by ridges running north-south: Cézallier, Monts Dore, Monts Dôme, Combrailles to the west, Devès, Livradois, Forez, Bois Noirs, Monts de la Madeleine to the east. This plateau is cut from north to south by the large, imposing Allier valley. Its alluvial plain opens wide to the north onto the central plains. The valleys radiating out from the Cantal massif successively feed the basins of the Dordogne to the west, which rises in the Dore mountains, and the Truyère and Lot to the south. The picture ends with the eastern boundary drawn by the upper Loire valley, east of Devès, which cuts through the volcanic plateaus to the edge of the Cévennes ardéchoises. The Auvergne volcanoes are part of the Massif Central. Formation of the Massif Central began 500 million years ago. Its highest peak is the Puy de Sancy in the Puy-de-Dôme department, at 1,885 metres. The Parc des Volcans d'Auvergne stretches from the Puy-de-Dôme to the Cantal, and is the largest volcanic area in Europe.

Each department has its own specificity

The Allier is named after the river that flows through the department. Its geography is also marked by the presence of large lowland forests (Tronçais, Colettes...), bocages (montagne bourbonnaise, bocage bourbonnais...), steep-sided rivers (Sioule, Cher, Bouble, Sichon), ponds, marshes and dry hillsides.
Cantal is known for its volcanoes, vast expanses of meadows and valleys. The Cantalien massif is Europe's largest stratovolcano. Unlike the Chaîne des Puys in Puy-de-Dôme, this one is made up of a single volcano. The département also boasts a network of marshes, peat bogs and streams (Planèze de Saint-Flour, Cézallier, Aubrac, etc.), dry hillsides (Aurillac and Maurs basins) and steep-sided valleys (Cère, Truyère, Dordogne).
Haute-Loire is the land of endless plateaus (Devès), the peaks of Margeride and Mézenc, and the gorges of the Allier and Loire rivers. Peat bogs, marshes, streams, rivers, moors and the forests of the deep gorges form the department's remarkable environments.
The Puy-de-Dôme is famous for the Chaîne des Puys and the Limagne fault, both listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. This unique site illustrates the Earth's greatest tectonic processes over an area of 240 km2. It includes no fewer than 80 volcanoes. The Sancy massif also contributes to the department's identity.

Snow in winter, sun in summer

The Auvergne's topography brings with it major climatic contrasts. In winter, it's cold and snowy at higher altitudes, and a little later in the plains. In summer, the climate is warm, but nights remain cool. As at national level, heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent. Despite the many mountain ranges, sunshine levels are fairly even across the region, with 1,750 to 2,000 hours a year. Although Aurillac appears in every weather report for its cool temperatures, the fact remains that with 2,118 hours of sunshine, the town is ahead of Toulouse (87 hours more) and Bordeaux (83 hours more). Average rainfall in the region is around 920 mm per year.

Coloured rocks

In some regions, the earth is tinted red by the presence of iron. In Auvergne, it's the rock that can be red. It's called pozzolana and you'll come across it every time you visit. This natural rock is formed from volcanic slag, usually basaltic. Its structure is honeycombed. It is still mined in the Puy-de-Dôme region. Pozzolan is not the only remarkable rock in Auvergne: the Chambois lava (fine-grained or bulbous), the Mont-Dore lava (light grey speckled with white), the Menet stone (very light grey), the Cunes stones (light grey with reflections) and the very famous Volvic stone are all found in Auvergne towns, and the impressive Clermont-Ferrand cathedral was built with it... you'll be able to deduce the color of this stone.
On your wanderings around Auvergne, you're sure to come across curious rock walls of varying heights that seem to be planted vertically. These are volcanic organs. They form when the lava flow cools. Here are just a few examples: in Haute-Loire, the volcanic organs of Chilhac; in Puy-de-Dôme, the organs of Usson; in Cantal, the basaltic organs of Saint-Flour. On the border between Cantal and Corrèze, the organs of Bort-les-Orgues are a must-see. These stone giants make you feel very small indeed.
During certain periods, rock formations were also used as settlements. To discover them, stop off at the Jonas troglodyte caves in Puy-de-Dôme, or at the Couteaux site in Lantriac, Haute-Loire.

And in the middle flow rivers

Water is one of the region's natural resources. The hydrographic network covers almost 23,000 km of permanent waterways. If we add up temporary flows, we reach 38,000 km. The various rivers feed the Loire, Allier, Cher, Dordogne and Lot.
Gorges de l'Allier, gorges de la Sioule, gorges de l'Artière, gorges d'Avèze, gorges de Chouvigny, gorges de la Bouble...: so many places where water makes its way through the wilderness. This unspoilt nature has retained its authenticity, while at the same time opening up to visitors. Many activities, such as canyoning, can be enjoyed here.
As well as rivers and streams, lakes add a blue tint to the verdant landscape. Some are man-made, while others are natural, created by ancient glaciers or volcanic activity. The latter are called "maars". This word comes from the German for "craters". As you can see from the translation, these are volcanic craters filled with water. As magma rises to the surface, it encounters a water table or stream. The steam created by this encounter increases the pressure underground, and rocks are thrown up to the surface. The spring then fills and feeds the basin formed. These lakes are often beautifully round in shape, and their surroundings are quite steep. Here are a few maars to see in the region: in the Puy-de-Dôme: Gour de Tazenat at Charbonnières-les-Vieilles, Lac Pavin at Besse, Lac de Servières, Lac Chauvet at Picherande, Lac d'en Haut at La Godivelle, in the Haute-Loire: Lac du Bouchet at Cayres, Lac de Saint-Front. In winter, when anglers aren't teasing fish, some clubs take up scuba diving. It's not uncommon to come across them at Lac Pavin, for example.

Peatlands

If you've heard of "sagnes" or "narces", you'll know that they refer to peat bogs. Once exploited for the production of peat, which was used as potting soil and fuel, they are now protected for their ecosystem, landscape and, of course, water.
What is peat? Peat is the part of plants that cannot decompose. Peat bogs form very slowly, so their destruction is fatal. Peat bogs are home to numerous insects, including dragonflies, and plants such as the Diberian Ligwort and the Lapponian Willow. As reservoirs of rainwater, they help to make up for periods of drought. Livradois-Forez, Cézallier, Artense, Aubrac, Mézenc...: the CEN Auvergne is involved in the preservation of peat bogs on a daily basis. Some of them are equipped for hikers, so don't hesitate to visit them to discover unique landscapes and understand their importance in Auvergne nature: tourbière de Jouvion in Saint-Donat, tourbière de Gayme near Picherande, tourbières du plateau de Chastel-sur-Murat, tourbière du col du Baruchet, tourbière de la plaine Jacquot à la Godivelle... Did these places seduce you? Do you have a thousand and one questions about this nature dating back over 2,000 years? Visit the Maison de la réserve naturelle de la Godivelle. Exhibitions and guided walks on a variety of themes (carnivorous plants, the lake dragon, flowering and gliding) are sure to answer all your questions.

Salt springs and hot springs

Another surprising geographical feature of the Auvergne is its salt springs. Their presence is linked to the region's geological history. There are almost 500 in the region. It's no coincidence that the European Union has classified these environments as being of Community interest. Some are home to a rich maritime flora. These salt springs are very fragile, and are preserved by the Conservatoire d'espaces naturels d'Auvergne. Here are just a few of the salt springs to be seen in Puy-de-Dôme: in Mirefleurs, the marshes and the Sail spring; in Les Martres-de-Veyre, the Saladis springs; in Gimeaux, the petrifying springs; in Saint-Maurice, the Sainte-Marguerite salt springs. Another special feature of the region is its hot springs. At Chaudes-Aigues and Le Mont-Dore, the springs gush out at 82°C for the former and 40°C for the latter. This phenomenon is entirely geological.