Local Information

The Parc Naturel Régional Livradois-Forez was set up in 1984. Realising that depopulation and decline were large problems for the area, the Parc aims to revitalise the rural environment and promote the local heritage. The Parc also promotes and encourages rural holidays, which do not disturb the environment. It is possible to see the results of this effort in the rural communities where older houses are being renovated and new houses built. Facilities for tourists are constantly being improved but the area remains largely unspoilt and abounds in wildlife.

Ambert is situated in the valley of the River Dore between the Monts du Livradois and the Monts du Forez. The town was inhabited by the Romans and later in the 15C became a thriving industrial town situated in one of the main paper making centres in France. In the 16C the area had over 300 mills, each with its own manufacturing secrets. The Moulin de Richard-de-Bas just outside the town is the last remaining mill in production and demonstrates the manufacture of beautiful hand made paper. There is still an industrial tradition in Ambert dating from the 17C. Braiding and trimmings were becoming popular at this time and Ambert became the capital of the industry. Originally for shoelaces, braids, ribbons and religious articles such as rosaries and medals, the industry has now modernised and expanded into the making of ropes, cables, braiding and elastic bungees.

Ambert is perhaps better known for its cheese - the Fourme d'Ambert - and there is a small museum to celebrate this local industry. Several cheese shops and all the supermarkets give ample opportunity to try and buy the Fourme and many other local cheeses. Even the Town Hall is Fourme shaped and is the only round Mairie in France.

The town has three large supermarkets and two small ones. There are several butchers, most of which specialise in selling meat from the local farms. Numerous bread shops, restaurants, cheese shops and a wide range of retail outlets make shopping and eating out an easy and pleasurable activity. Every Thursday morning there is a very popular market, which fills the centre of the town in summer. Throughout the year there are festivals and during the summer there is some organised activity on most evenings.

A tourist train runs daily from Ambert station in July and August. On some days the train is drawn by a steam engine, complete with belching chimney and nostalgic fumes. Visitors who travel in the cattle truck return covered in black smuts. There is cleaner accommodation in the carriages. A steam museum in town gives a good understanding of the way steam power was harnessed in the area by farmers and manufacturers alike.

Near the station is a large park with a lake where in the Summer school holidays you can hire pedaloes, swim safely from the beach or fish in a separate lake. Mountain bikes can be hired from the station and a pamphlet is on sale detailing several local routes to be explored.

We find Ambert to be a lively and friendly town and use it for most of our shopping needs. Alternatives are Clermont Ferrand, Issoire and Thiers, each about an hour away but worth a visit for their own charms. St Etienne is a bit further away but with all these large towns nearby, shopping is not problem.

Clermont Ferrand has all the amenities you'd expect to find in a big city. One of France's oldest chocolate shops, several good museums, an ice skating rink, attractive squares, numerous shops and supermarkets all make a visit worthwhile. There is also a railway station and airport plus the Head office of Michelin tyres. Despite its industrial side what we enjoy about Clermont is being able to catch a glimpse the mountains from almost every corner.

Travelling along the Valley of the Dore, north from Ambert, the road meanders and climbs through picturesque countryside towards Thiers - for many centuries the cutlery centre of France. Although greatly reduced in number, Thiers still has well over two hundred craftsmen. Up to the 19C the town was also a paper making centre specialising in the manufacture of playing cards. Built spectacularly on the side of a ravine, Thiers offers superb views South over the valley and West towards the Monts Dores and the Monts Dômes. There are numerous old timbered houses, craft workshops and the cutlery museum to visit as well as the many waterfalls, which once operated numerous cutlery works.

This is the local commune to which we belong and is worth a visit for its spectacular views of Forez from the top of the Rocher de la Vierge. In 1232 Monestier was recorded as Monascola, meaning little monastery. The Romanesque church in the centre of the village is typical of the area and is often open. Throughout the year the Comité des Fêtes organises various events including dances, markets and firework displays and on the evening before Assumption (August 15th) there is an open air service followed by a candlelit procession up the hill to the feet of the Virgin.
We have watched the area grow since our arrival. New houses are being built and others renovated but it will be some time before it will ever be able to boast that there are three schools in the village, as it could fifty years ago. Le Monestier incorporates several hamlets and lieu-dits, one of which is our own tiny hamlet of Le Mayet.

The chief town of the canton is at 905 metres above sea level. It is surrounded by forests, first used to supply masts to the royal flotilla and later, less romantically, used for railway sleepers. The forests gave birth to numerous legends of brigands, a golden cow waiting to be discovered by some lucky adventurer and "La Galipote" renowned for eating children. There is a pharmacy, post office, a small bakery and a couple of restaurants. Views and walks are spectacular.

Cunlhat was renowned internationally by Harley-Davidson enthusiasts for the FreeWheels weekend in mid-August, when leather clad bikers on shiny chrome machines converged on the area for its rock festival. 2001 saw the last of these "organised" events although several superb motor bikes can still be seen in the area during the summer. Cunlhat is an attractive little town with a Plan d'eau and numerous streams. Several artists are now in residence and the town inhabitants are hoping that they will attract a new clientele. Nearby in the forest by the Col de Toutée there is an adventure area where you can climb up into the trees and tour the forest at high-level, monkey-style, on rope ladders and walkways. Horse riding, fishing, cycling and walking are all catered for nearby.

Along the valley travelling towards Thiers, you pass the small town of Olliergues. It consists of terraces of houses rising up the hillside and topped by a rather square castle housing a museum. Although many are now empty, the old houses dating from the 15C and 16C give an indication of the past wealth of the town

At Job there is a hang gliding centre and many of the hamlets and villages along the road have access to cross country skiing in the winter.

At first the road follows the tourist railway line towards the village of La Chaise Dieu, passing through Marsac en Livradois with its museum of the White Penitents - an old religious order, Arlanc a small market town with traditional old streets and a Lace Museum and finally arriving at La Chaise Dieu with its ornate abbey built at an altitude of 1000 metres/3250 feet. Inside can be seen tapestries and a strange fresco - the Danse Macabre or the Dance of Death. At the end of the summer the abbey and surrounding buildings fill with the sounds of orchestral music for the annual Music Festival.

Further South again you reach Le Puy en Velay. The approach in itself is dramatic with volcanic cores rising out of the plain. The town was, and still is, the starting point for pilgrims from all over Northern Europe following the route of St.James into Spain. The town is described in the Michelin Guide as one of the most extraordinary sites in France. Enormous volcanic peaks rise up within the town, one surmounted by a Romanesque chapel, the other by a huge red statue of the Virgin Mary. Le Puy en Velay is rich in history and is also traditionally known for its lace making. Gastronomically it is famous for the Puy lentils.