Drinks
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The Côtes d'Auvergne vineyards are covering the hills from the north of Riom to the south of Issoire. Main wines: Châteaugay, Chanturgue, Corent, Boudes, Madargue.
The Saint-Pourçain, oldest vineyards of France, stretch out over 19 towns. Main wines: Saint-Pourçain, Gamay noir, Pinot noir, Chardonnay.
Mineral waters: Vichy-Célestins, Saint-Yorre, Chateldon, Sainte-Marguerite, Volvic, Châteauneuf, Arvie, Mont-Dore, Rozanna. All are naturally filtered by the volcanik rock and famous all over the world.
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Food
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Auvergne has five “AOC” (a label guaranteeing the origin) and well-known cheeses: Cantal and Saint Nectaire for the oldest ones, Salers (the strong onest), Fourme d’Ambert and Bleu d'Auvergne.
The potée auvergnate (boiled dinner), the truffade (a potato and cheese dish), potato paté and pounti (pork and prune meatloaf)account for the best and most famous Auvergne specialities.
Have also good reputation: bovine meat (Charolais, Salers and Aubrac, Mézenc), lamb, poultry, dried sausages, andouillettes, blood sausages, hams, terrines, pork rillettes.
Also appreciated: Fish (brook trout, char, salmon)
Very flavourful: mushrooms, potatoes, chestnuts, garlic, green lentils.
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Leisure
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The traditionnal musical culture is still alive through the folk Auvergnate music. The main musical instruments are accordion, hurdy-gurdy, le violon.
The traditionnal dance la bourrée auvergnate is still practised all over the France and mainly in the south Auvergne.
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Festival Celebrations
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Several locals markets offer the opportunity to meet local farmers. These latter are celebrated during the famous Festa del Païs in August in Saint-Flour.
Festival of the High Country les Hautes Terres, in Saint Flour, end of June, celebrates mountainous art and patrimony.
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Language
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French is obviously the predominant language in Auvergne, even if 71% of inhabitants want to maintain and develop the regional language called auvergnat.
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Fortifications
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In Auvergne, restored castles or castles in ruins are numerous and include the Murol Castle with medieval military architecture, the Lapalisse Castle with Italian Renaissance features, the Sedaiges de Marmanhac Castle with 19th century's architecture and the Montluçon Castle first built in the 11th century for the most famous ones.
Others are not to be missed: Puyguillon, Varenne, Bourbon-l'Archambaud, Busset, Conros, Pontgibaud, La Batisse, Saint Saturnin, Tournoël, Saint Vidal, Effiat, Valprivas, Domeyrat, Chavaniac Lafayette and Pesteils castles, as well as the Polignac fortress or Veygoux Manor.
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Religious Monuments
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Auvergne gathers more than 500 Romanesque churches.
Places of interest: the Saint-Austremoine abbey, Notre-Dame-du-Port on the World Heritage list, the Puy-en-Velay Notre-Dame cathedral with its 134 steps, Brioude Basilica, Lavaudieu abbey.
Le Puy-en-Velay is one of the main European meeting-points for pilgrims. This is a famous starting point of one of the roads for travelling to the Spanish sanctuary of Santiago de Compostela; crossing the Monts du Velay through Saint-Privat-d'Allier, Monistrol-d'Allier, Saugues, Conques and Rouergue.
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“Beautiful Villages”
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The following typical villages are classified among “The Most Beautiful Villages of France”:
Allier: Charroux.
Cantal: Salers, Tournemire .
Haute Loire: Arlempdes, Blesle, Lavaudieu, Pradelles
Puy de Dôme: Montpeyroux, Saint-Floret, Saint-Saturnin, Usson.
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Museums
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Auvergne is rich of 130 museums including.
Musée Anne de Beaujeu with regional prehistoric objects
Musée de la Coutellerie of Thiers with knife as symbol
Musée des Arts et Traditions populaires of Haute-Loire about popular lifestyle and former crafts
Musée d'Art et d'Archéologie of Aurillac with art collection and cantal history
Musée municipal of Vichy with art and archeology collections
Musée du Veinazès about regional human history.
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Trade Routes
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The Route des Métiers invites everyone to discover craftsmen’s workshops and museums dedicated to producing fine traditional and contemporary products.
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Historical Routes
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The Châteaux d'Auvergne road is divided into 6 circuits, crossing Allier, Puy de Dôme, Cantal and Haute Loire departments and passing through volcanic, mountainous and natural fantastic landscapes.
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Property Sales