Tourist Attractions & Monuments en Auvergne

Surrounded by the Forez Mountains, the Vivarais Mountains, the Massifs, Pilat and Devès Mountains, this forest of nearly 1 200 hectares extends to the territory of five municipalities: Saint-Julien-Chapteuil, Champclause, Queyrières, Araules and Yssingeaux. The Meygal massif impresses with its dense and wide coat of thorns. The forest is composed mostly of conifers, a veritable botanical garden where many varieties of plants blend: digitale, achillea, pectic, gentian… You will also find the famous ceps and other chanterelles. Its planting, on a lande lande, dates back to the late th century. The GR 65 (chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle), in its part which goes from Geneva to Puy-en-Velay, crosses this forest. Winter skiing enthusiasts will find their own happiness here.

A road, connected, connects this vast natural promontory to the villages of Bordeyrac and Espinasse. At more than 1 000 m altitude, the camp of Antoune is at the top of a basaltic casting that dominates the gorges of the Loire. At the entrance to the site, an explanatory panel, with plan, provides indications on this platform that was fortified, probably in the Celtic era. In the periphery of this hectare plateau, you will notice remains of some small watchtower. Interestingly, the places have a magnetism that going the compass needle and the radiesthésie antennae. This site is now protected and registered by the association Les Amis d'Antoune.

This xiith century building, in the Romanesque style of Poitou, is unique in Velay. Her nef is as high as the lower side. Admire its pillars with four-sheet clover-shaped pillars based on a cruciform base. The capitals are decorated with foliage or barbarian heads. The portal is remarkable with its twisted columns and its capitals that include sin and remorse. The original porch was added another step in the early twentieth century. Side chapels were added from the fifteenth century.

Words may sometimes be misleading. This lake, as you will have understood, is not really one. It is a bog nestled between two volcanoes. But is that why the point is not worth a detour? Quite the opposite! The flora is particularly rich in this cool and cool place and the fans of this fruit of the wood that is raspberry will be filled. The egg lake is just a few kilometres away from Montbonnet.

The treasure consists mainly of a collection of tapestries. The latter has fourteen models, twelve of which constitute a complete suite. They are displayed in the monks'choir, at the location for which they were designed. Classified as a historic monument in 1844, they are the property of the commune of La Chaise-Dieu (Act 1905) and assigned to Catholic worship. You can also admire tapestries in Brussels, a th century ivory in ivory…

Le, or large Testavoyre is the highest point of Meygal (1 435 m altitude). The rise is, we can say, derisory compared with the exceptional view you have at the summit. It is a complete panorama of the mountains, valleys and landscapes of almost all the Haute-Loire which you will have the privilege to discover. In the distance you can admire the Puys chain and, by the way, the Alps. A 360-degree angle of view! Little curiosity, the volcanic rock of this volcano is made up of phonolithe that make your sonic walk!

By entering Chaudeyrolles (from Saint-Julien-Chapteuil), take the first road on the right after the church and continue to descend until you have a magnificent view of the so-called Chaudron de Chaudeyrolles (where still "Les Narces"). Then you will find an explanatory panel on Lignon trout on the left. You are there. Along a meadow where cows and bulls graze in peace, a trail rises in the middle of the grass. Follow it and climb a gorge carved in basalt, it will take you to the bottom of the Cascade waterfall or Salin waterfall. From between two rocks, Lignon makes a stop in the middle of the cliff (a shallow "pot" about three metres in diameter was shaped by the water) before pouring down to the bottom of the cliff to quietly regain its bed. Nice waterfall. You can go back to the right bank to reach the upper level. This part is more rugged. A cable shakes or, it is not a hand for hiker but it is used in winter for climbing the ice walls!

A site for the promotion of sustainable and respectful tourism for the Haute Vallée de la Loire animated by the SOS Loire Living Association and a dozen communes in the sector. We learn how to discover the nature of the biotope of this wild valley, we discover the objectives of sustainable tourism, we find practical links, we see the ten panels of a didactic exhibition on the young Loire, the gorges, the plateaus, its prehistory, its history, the news, the projects… Under the heading of tourism offer, a tab is reserved for fishing with coordinates of fishing guides, fishing accommodation, lists of the best spots, local fish resources, etc.

It offers a range of services for visitors, such as tourist information, the sale of hiking guides, ticket sales for shows and events, and information on community life. You can also obtain information on cinema programs and the cultural seasons of neighboring towns. The Tourist Office also offers a classified ads and photocopying service.

Located 1 250 metres above sea level, the Longetraye cave is accessible from the village of Freycenet-la-Cuche by a two-kilometre trail. Excavated in ancient lava flows, this cave sheltered prehistoric men more than 12 000 years ago. Yet it was almost destroyed by the rocky exploitation at the end of the th century. This trail is therefore a tribute to those who fought to save it.

Tariff: free.

Duration: 2 h.

Difficulty: .

Located at the top of a volcanic fireplace, Saint-Michel Chapel is a beautiful illustration of the technical achievement and human ingenuity. It is, however, on the rock that argues that Aighuilhe's commune has decided to emphasize, building an interpretive trail on its side. Throughout the climb to the chapel, information panels inform you about the origin of this rock formation and the geology of the region.

Tariff: 3 € (child under 18: 50 €).

Duration: 1 h.

Difficulty: easy (but pentu).

The village of Queyrières has the originality of being built around a dark sombre. This short walk around the village invites us to discover this lava rock, with geometric shapes shaped by erosion, thanks to an interpretive trail. Information panels return to the use that Man made of this volcanic stone to develop his environment and how she marked the history of Queyrières.

Tariff: free.

Duration: 30 minutes.

Difficulty: very easy.