Travel Guide Ayen

Ayen is a site in the heart of the Puys mountains, with views of the Monédières and Mont-Dore. Evoked by famous writers, the landscapes here offer a hodgepodge of gentle slopes that provide admirable, ever-changing panoramas. From Ayen-Haut, you can wander down to the old Ayen-Bas, a shady valley cooled by its ancient fountain-washhouse, then climb back up to Le Temple, once a powerful commandery of the Templar Order. Peace and beauty are the hallmarks of this elongated village, where the different colors of the sandstone give the village its picturesque character. But let's make no mistake: with its old trades centre, the art workshops at La Boissière, the Val vacation village perched on the Chaumonts promontory and all its shops, Ayen is an active, dynamic and open town. It seems that it was around 850, during the reign of Charles the Bald, in the troubled period following the death of Charlemagne, that the Viscounts of Limoges decided to build a fortress. At that time, the conflict between Charles and Pepin II of Aquitaine, on the one hand, and the Norman invasions, on the other, had created a climate of insecurity, prompting the search for secluded places less exposed than the valleys. From its long history, Ayen has preserved the Châteaux de la Chabrelie and Razat, the listed enfeus, modillions and hinges of its primitive church built in the 12th century at Ayen-Bas, and offers pleasant walks along the ramparts and old streets.