Auvergne
Paper has been made here since 1326, and this old-school operation still produces around 200 sheets per day using traditional techniques. Hour-long guided tours (French only) will lead you around a restored 15th-century mill and give you a primer on the history of paper production. It's 4km east of Ambert on the D57.
The adjoining park makes a lovely picnic spot.
15.99 MILES
For Pope Clement VI, a humble tomb simply wouldn't do. The pope commissioned a palatial church to shelter his final resting place and the resulting Église…
24.37 MILES
Split across two buildings, this museum gives an entertaining account of cutlery-making history. In number 23, a kid-friendly sound-and-light show evokes…
29.45 MILES
An old industrial mining site that was once the lifeblood of St-Étienne has been transformed into a fascinating exhibition complex. On a 75-minute guided…
26.15 MILES
Issoire is the proud home of the Auvergne’s most extravagantly decorated Romanesque church. The exterior of this 12th-century edifice is festooned with…
26.17 MILES
The Auvergne's largest Romanesque church is a whopper in design as much as size. Built over the tomb of martyred Saint Julien, and housing a gold…
21.94 MILES
Designed as an impregnable citadel, the village of Usson roosts atop a volcanic plume, 8km east of Issoire. The daughter of Henry II and Catherine de…
2.31 MILES
Creamy blue Fourme d'Ambert, recognisable by its tall, cylindrical shape, is one of the Auvergne's five Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) cheeses. This…
Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain
28.9 MILES
The country’s second-largest Art Moderne museum after Paris’ Centre Pompidou, this museum features an exceptional collection of 20th-century and…
1. Maison de la Fourme d'Ambert
2.31 MILES
Creamy blue Fourme d'Ambert, recognisable by its tall, cylindrical shape, is one of the Auvergne's five Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) cheeses. This…
2. Église Abbatiale de St-Robert
15.99 MILES
For Pope Clement VI, a humble tomb simply wouldn't do. The pope commissioned a palatial church to shelter his final resting place and the resulting Église…
21.94 MILES
Designed as an impregnable citadel, the village of Usson roosts atop a volcanic plume, 8km east of Issoire. The daughter of Henry II and Catherine de…
24.27 MILES
About 4km northeast of Thiers is the Vallée des Rouets, an open-air museum dedicated to the knife-makers who once toiled here in front of water-driven…
24.28 MILES
A blushing sandstone church in Glaine-Montaigut, 20km southwest of Thiers, makes a worthwhile detour. The Romanesque church's interior, brightly coloured…
24.37 MILES
Split across two buildings, this museum gives an entertaining account of cutlery-making history. In number 23, a kid-friendly sound-and-light show evokes…
24.37 MILES
It's worth a peep inside this collegiate church, whose foundations date back to the 6th century, to admire its medieval murals and fine 19th-century organ.
26.15 MILES
Issoire is the proud home of the Auvergne’s most extravagantly decorated Romanesque church. The exterior of this 12th-century edifice is festooned with…