Where the Villages Were Built

Where the Villages Were Built

The villages of the Cantal volcano are situated in the valleys and on the plateaux depending on the climate. They needed shelter from the wind, in a sunny position, proximity of water, easy access to pastures and cultivated land and proximity of the tracks to the estive. In the narrow valleys, such as Maronne, dwellings were built on the ‘adret’, the southern facing slopes.

The large valleys, as Jordanne and Cère, do not have southern facing slopes. The bases are moist, subject to nocturnal mist and low temperatures.

The high Cere Valley with the village of St Jacques des Blats

These valleys have been left to meadows and meagre cultivation. The favoured sites are often to the rear of moraines, lower terrace limits, the perimeter of the glacial shoulders and the collapsed talus. In these large valleys the dwellings are grouped in villages, about 900m, and an area of burons, towards 1300m.

On the plateaux regions, battered by the wind, dwellings are scattered behind irregularities of the terrain, or a group of trees. Frequently there is a mixture of permanent and temporary dwellings.

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