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PLACES OF INTEREST VISITED ON THE TOUR

Clermont Ferrand
Clermont Ferrand is an attractive, bustiling commercial centre with thriving restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. It was originally two distinct cities: Clermont and Montferrand, which were united in 1630. In the Clermont section of the city sights include the Place St Pierre with its daily food market, Fontaine d’Amboise, which leads via the pedestrianised Rue du Port to the Romanesque church of Notre Dame-du-Port and the Gothic Cathedral dating from the 13th Century. The Montferrand part is typified by ancient Rue Kleber, lined with fine houses, known as “hotels particuliers” built by prosperous merchants from the 13th to 17th Centuries.

Orcival, St Nectaire and Besse-en-Chandesse
The tiny town of Orcival is dominated by its superb basilica, dating from the beginning of the 12th Century, which many say is the best Romanesque church in the region. Another village noted for its Romanesque church, St Nectaire is one of the most beautiful with soaring, elegant proportions and vividly carved stonework. Internally, the treasury includes a gold bust of St Baudime and a wooden Notre-Damede- Mont-Cornadore, both marvels of 12th Century workmanship. With its old houses and fortifications, Besse is a picturesque and charming small town set in beautiful surroundings. Sights here include the 12th Century church, quaint Rue de la Boucherie, lined with black houses made of lava stone including the 15th Century Queen Margot’s House that now houses a small ski museum and 16th Century town gate.

Puy-en-Velay, Brioude and Issoire
Located in the bowl of a volcanic cone, the extraordinary town of Puy-en-Velay teeters on a series of rock outcrops and giant basalt pillars. The town appears to have three peaks, each topped with a landmark church or statue. Seen from a distance, the ensemble is one of the most dramatic sights in France. Le Puy became a pilgrimage centre after its Bishop returned from a pilgrimage to Santiago in 962 and built the perilously positioned Chapelle St-Michel d’Aiguilhe. Pilgrims assembled at the Notre Dame Cathedral, famed for its black Madonna and “fever stone” before heading for Santiago. Other highlights include the colossal red statue of Notre Dame de France, built on the pinnacle of the Rocher Corneille in 1860 and cast from 213 cannons captured at Sebastopol during the Crimean War, and the Crozatier lace museum. A small bustling town situated on a terrace overlooking the lush Allier plain, Brioude is famed for its church, the Basilique St-Julien, the largest Romanesque church in the Auvergne, dating from 1060. An important aeronautical centre and a mecca for glider pilots thanks to strong local air currents, the town of Issoire also boasts an outstanding 12th Century abbey church, St-Austremoine, notable for the Bosch-like fresco of “The Last Judgement” with sinners being cast into the mouth of a dragon. 

Vichy and Thiers
Most famous as the head of the French state during Nazi occupation in WWII, Vichy was chosen thanks to its 500 hotels which could be requisitioned for government offices - the current Aletti Palace Hotel, for example, housed the War Ministry. These were in existence thanks to its reputation as a spa resort and its superb turn of the century spa buildings and parks are now protected as an integral part of France’s architectural heritage. Highlights include the Parc des Sources, Grand Casino, Covered Arcades, several grand hotels, the elaborate chalets and villas of the Avenue Etats-Unisand the Parcs d’Allier. Famed as a centre for the manufacture of cutlery, the well-preserved medieval town of Thiers is dramatically sited on a ravine over a sharp bend in the river Durolle.

PRICES & AVAILABILITY

Departure Date	Duration	Status	Per Person	Single Supplement	Board Basis
07-Jun-2012	5	Available	£649	£135	Dinner and Breakfast
21-Jun-2012	5	Available	£649	£135	Dinner and Breakfast
23-Aug-2012	5	Available	£649	£135	Dinner and Breakfast
06-Sep-2012	5	Available	£649	£135	Dinner and Breakfast