The Mountains

The Mountains

In Auvergne the term ‘mountain’ has two meanings. It refers to an area of peaks and also to the high summer pastures, called ‘estives’. For the summer months the cattle were moved to these pastures. During this time they herds were tended by two or three men. The men lived in temporary mountain dwellings called burons.

For basically geographic reasons the concentration of worked land has been greater in the Cantal than in the rest of the Auvergnat Massif. The agricultural organisation of the Cantal was therefore the original in combining a ‘domaine’, an estate, and a large mountain for the estive.

At the end of the 15^th Century the lawyers and merchants bought back the mountains from the nobles which therefore maintained group exploitation of domaine and mountain estive for the farmers.

The villages were situated in the valleys and on the plateaux.

Walking in the Cantal for information on walking and walks in France and the Cantal, accommodation, food and wine.
Walking in France for information on France and GR footpaths.
Auvergne active Self guided walking holidays in the Cantal
Hôtel des Chazes - 2Star and Les Sources - Table & Chambre d'Hôte, St Jacques des Blats. Both excellent bases from which to explore the Cantal.
Monts d'Auvergne-Auvergne Hills for a description and pictures of the area, with suggested walks.
Éditions Chamina for walking guides in the Massif Central.

Classic Geology in Auvergne by Peter Cattermole ISBN 1-903544-05-x available from Blackwells