Where to Stay: The Grand Hotel Mont-Dore
The alpine town of Mont-Dore has been a “wellness paradise” for over a century. Yet, many of its original Belle Époque-era resorts have either disappeared completely or been sectioned into private apartments. The Grand Hotel Mont-Dore, fortunately, has not. Originally constructed in 1855, the Grand Hotel is a châteauesque work of art that would not […]
Occult Auvergne: A Christmas Ghost Story
In this Christmas ghost story from Auvergne, a vampire-like creature rises from the grave to prey on a spiritually unprepared adolescent.
Will Ice Fishing Ever Come Back to Lake Guéry?
For years, Lake Guéry — the highest lake in Auvergne — was also France’s premier spot for ice fishing. Will the tradition ever come back?
5 Ways to Experience Hidden Clermont-Ferrand
There is more to the capital city of Auvergne than meets the eye. Here are 5 ways to experience hidden Clermont-Ferrand.
From Britain to Auvergne: An Interview with Chef Sam Wydymus
British chef Sam Wydymus is the managing director of Terroir 63, a restaurant in the Auvergne-based village of Olliergues.
Winter in Auvergne: Dog-Sledding Adventures
In Auvergne, winter frequently arrives without warning. One minute the sun is shining and the weather is mild enough for a jean jacket, and the next the wind descends like a screaming chorus of banshees, frantically dumping snow onto everything in sight. When this happens, the tramontane dells of Sancy and Cantal — with their […]
A Banquet of Demigods on the Puy de Dôme
France has many mountains, but only one Olympus: the puy de Dôme. In the 18th century it was the site of a notorious banquet of “demigods”.
Henri Lecoq’s Haunting Encounter with the Brocken Spectre
The mountain hunters of past centuries have seen unaccountable and terrible forms in the mountain mists, and legends have carried the phenomena from the plainly natural to the weirdly superhuman. – J. Gordon McPherson The world is full of haunted places — each with its own bone-chilling claim to infamy. That said, few places can […]
Hidden Clermont-Ferrand: Maison Savaron
The Italian Renaissance, to which Clermont owes the lovely maison de Savaron on rue des Chaussetiers, makes its presence felt in Auvergne. -Marcellin Boudet Anyone who admires Renaissance architecture will find much to marvel at in the older quarters of Clermont-Ferrand. Here mazes of uneven cobbled streets almost always lead to a quiet square or corner […]
Occult Auvergne: How to Become a Werewolf
Obtained by a 19th-century physician, this ritual from Auvergne tells you how to become a become a werewolf.
