Gentian: Herbal Drink of the Auvergne Highlands
Made from the root of the gentian plant (Gentiana lutea) — a tall herb that grows in the Auvergne highlands — gentian has been an integral part of Auvergnat drinking culture for over a century.
A Visit to the Puy de Dôme…in 1879
What was visiting the puy de Dôme like in the 19th century? Here’s an account from writer and feminist Matilda Betham-Edwards.
Is Le Puy the Most Picturesque Place in the World?
For us, therefore, wandering in a “fairyland of travel,” there was something of the joy of the discoverer when the forgotten cathedral town, to which work was our guide, turned out to be “the most picturesque place in the world,” something of the pride of the pioneer when we settled down and made ourselves at […]
What to Do: Visit The Gergovie Museum
Today the object of our excursion was the hill of Gergovie, interesting from its geological phenomena, as well as from being the scene of Caesar’s repulse by Vercingetorix and the Arverni, the only serious military check ever sustained by the great Julius. – Sir David Wedderburn, 3rd Baronet No visit to Auvergne would be complete […]
What to Do: Explore the Ruins of Montrognon
Those travellers who have an eye for the wayward and the Gothic should wind their way to the oft-overlooked ruins of Montrognon.
Spend a Night in an Auvergne Hogwarts: The Château de Val
The first Harry Potter film wowed viewers with its portrayal of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the fictional British boarding school where Harry, Ron, and Hermione came of age while foiling a multitude of evil plots. With its soaring turrets, deep dungeons, and geographic situation in the midst of here-be-dragons landscapes (e.g. the Forbidden Forest and the mermaid-haunted Great Lake), Warner Brothers’ Hogwarts is a fine example of escapism done right.
Poetry: A Soldier From Auvergne
“The Soldier From Auvergne” is a stirring piece of wartime poetry by British writer and serviceman Henry Baerlein.
The Mysterious Lake Pavin
It was out of the ‘bottomless’ Lac Pavin that the sorcerers conjured wind and storm by casting a stone into its enchanted waters… -Margaret Roberts Situated inside a volcanic crater in the Dore Mountains, Lake Pavin is the deepest lake in Auvergne. Its entrancing appearance, which has been a subject of interest for travel writers and geographers […]
The Legacy of the Lord of the Rings in Auvergne
The crag, the precipice, the perilous pass, the castle-crowned hill, the arched bridge, the untutored mountaineer, the ravaging baron, the robber chief, the ugly legendary tale of death, the pretty tale of love and fairyland luck — all these come into the story of Auvergne.
Why Algernon Charles Swinburne Loved Auvergne
In August 1869, the English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne — one of the leading figures of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood — visited Auvergne with his friend, the adventurer Sir Richard Burton. Among other places, they stopped at Vichy — known for for its natural spas — and Clermont-Ferrand. Captivated by Auvergne’s rustic beauty, Swinburne quickly fell […]
