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 La
Margeride, l’Aubrac, la Châtaigneraie: these
are the Highlands, which rise over Southwest Auvergne,
the home of nature, history and poetry inviting you to
discover a land of passions.
Saint-Flour, city of bishops, is the
guardian of these Highlands. Set high up at an altitude
of 881 metres, the city was built around the tomb of Saint
Flour, one of the 4th-century evangelisers of Auvergne.
Saint Pierre Cathedral, in a stern gothic style on the
Place d’Armes, remains a solid witness to the city’s
role as a fortress.
There is a gorgeous view from the terrace of the Rocks
overlooking the dazzling light of the Monts de la Margeride,
where the Beast of Gévaudan terrorised the population
in the 18th century.
 While
crossing these landscapes, the visitor should remember
the feats of the Maquisards who, during the Second World
War, took over Mont Mouchet, a major centre of the French
Resistance.
The Monts de la Margeride possess a famous historical
and architectural monument: the Garabit Viaduct, built
between 1882 and 1884 by Gustave Eiffel, the engineer
famous for the Tower of the same name. Classified and
protected as a historical monument, it joins the two sides
of the Truyère Valley at a height of 120 metres.
Near the gateway to the Aubrac area,
at Chaudes-Aigues, there is the hottest hot spring in
Europe, La Source du Par (82°). In the past, people
came here to pluck their chickens and ducks and to clean
their pigs. In our more modern times, the spring is the
source of a thermal spa specialised in treating chronic
rheumatism.
 Upper
Auvergne is also known for its Châtaigneraie (Chestnut
Grove), which runs from the Southwest of Aurillac to the
Lot Valley. The slopes of this granite plateau are covered
with over 210,000 hectares (518,700 acres) of chestnut
trees. In the heart of this unassuming land, the town
of Maurs, with its Saint Cézaire abbey church,
is well worth a respectful visit.
 Aurillac,
capital of Upper Auvergne, has preserved the traces of
its rich commercial and industrial past. Every summer,
it opens its heart to the International Street Theatre
Festival.
Lastly, in this land where the most majestic volcano in
Europe, the Saporta, came into being millions of years
ago, stands Puy Mary
(alt. 1,758 m). Located in the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional
Nature Park, this is the most visited site in the département.
At its summit, enjoy the marvellous view of 12 glacial
valleys in a magical panorama.
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