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.
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.
Lake Treasures: The Underwater Wine of Lac des Graves
Auvergne’s millennia-old lakes are natural vaults, full of — to paraphrase Shakespeare — ooze and sumless treasure. Many secrets lie hidden beneath their waves. In former times, some lakes — like the volcanic Lac Pavin — were believed to be the watery lairs of phantoms and monsters. Today, some lakes have become the resting places […]
A Getaway on the Lake: What to do in Aydat
You are now in the real Auvergne country as you near Lake Aydat that shines through its fringing firs-red soil, stunted shrubs, and, all round, rocks that look as though they have been hurled by giants in the last æons-ago eruption. -Robert Herring With its beaches, nature trails, and shoreline restaurants, Lake Aydat is one […]
