This Loire Valley drive from Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers is the first part of the Loire Valley adventure along the river’s meandering route to the Atlantic. The Loire rises near my house in the Auvergne. But here it’s a modest river, slowly gathering its strength as it wiggles its way north west. At first it passes through small villages where all it does is keep the local communal washing places busy and water the pastures of cows and sheep.

It’s not until Nevers that the Loire becomes a major commercial river.

The main towns and cities in the Loire Valley running east to west start with Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne where the river is a modest burble. Then it goes through Nevers, Orléans, Blois, Tours, Saumur, Angers, Nantes and St-Nazaire where the Loire finishes its epic journey to the sea.

Loire Valley Routes from Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers

Fast Route: 280 kms/174 miles taking 3hr 40 minutes. It’s on the Autoroute N102 which has tolls of €6.40. Or take the A71 (no tolls) which is a journey of 307 kms/191 miles taking 3 hrs 50 mins.

Scenic Route: 367 kms/229 miles taking around 6 hours. It is possible to do all the attractions in one day though you might find you have to cut some a little short or bypass others.

Start the Loire Valley Drive at Le Puy-en-Velay

Le Puy-en-Velay is my nearest big town in France. You can’t miss its two main features as you approach. The religious statues and buildings rising out of the town on volcanic pinnacles give the town a theatricality out of all proportion to its fame. It’s the start of one of the most popular and best organized pilgrim routes to St James of Compostela in Spain.

Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Étienne

Drive: 118 kms/73 miles taking 1 hr 40 mins

From Le Puy take the D103 that runs mainly beside the still small Loire river. It’s a pretty drive so if time is not important, take the even smaller D42 up to D46 at La Roche/Bas en Bessat. You continue up the ever growing Loire, turning right onto the D25 to Unieux which becomes the D3 into Saint-Étienne.

The road takes you beside the Loire. It’s a delightful journey and much nicer than the main fast autoroute. There are no spectacular sights to stop at, just a drive through the Auvergne with its wide open spaces and rolling hills.

Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne was an industrial city and the centre of the French arms making business from 1665 to 2001. La Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne occupied a huge area with numerous industrial buildings.

Today the buildings have been renovated and transformed in this design city. So visit the Musée d’Art et Industrie which displays the city’s three main industries: weapons, bicycles and textiles. The Cité de Design is a prestigious design university with good temporary exhibitions. The Musée de la Mine takes you down into a different and rather grim world.  

The Musée d’Art Moderne is a real eye opener. It was the first regional museum of modern art and has a huge collection.

If you’re there for a meal make sure you eat at the up-to-the-minute La FABuleuse cantine.

A city of art and design, Saint-Étienne has an important bi-annual Design Festival starting in August. A surprising find and well worth the detour!

From Saint-Étienne to St Pierre de la Roche

Drive: 67 kms/42 miles taking 1 hr 20mins. Drive north into the glorious Gorges de la Loire on the D1082 with the river on your left.

It’s a lovely drive to a château you probably don’t know about. I didn’t until fairly recently and it’s a real find.

The Château de la Roche stands on an island, its stone defences mirrored in the surrounding waters. Stop to look at it; its strategic position gave it huge importance from the 13^th century onwards. If you have enough time (and good French) the guided tour is dramatic and fun, led by the proprietors of the château.

St Pierre de la Roche to Roanne and another city stop on the Loire Valley from Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers drive

Drive: 24 kms/15 miles taklng 30 mins

Keeping to the scenic route, go back to the junction with the little D56 road which winds its way along the Loire. You’ll pass by Roanne, another city that is largely ignored by visitors unless you’re from Nuneaton and Bedworth (which Roanne is twinned with).

But worth a stop for its port, the old quarter, its superb Fine Arts Museum which houses one of the best Egyptology collections in France. (If you’re a fan of Egyptology, get to the new Champollion museum in Isère. It’s one of the many new museums and attractions opening this year.) And if you’re a gourmet, book at the 3-Michelin star Troisgros restaurant in Roanne.

Roanne to Digoin

Drive: 56 kms/35 miles taking 56 mins. From Roanne take the D482 with the Loire still on your left. The road becomes the D982 after Iguerande.

You’ll lose sight of the river a few kilometres on at St Martin du Lac. The road takes you to Digoin where the Canal du Centre joins the Canal Latéral à la Loire.

Digoin to Decize

Drive: 67 kms/42 miles taking 1hr 2 mins. The D979 runs beside the river, past St-Aubin-sur-Loire with its Trappist Abbey de Sept-Fons which has been inhabited by Cistercian monks since 1132.

Then Bourbon-Lancy appears just off the D979 on the D973. The town is worth a stop for its walled medieval area dating back to 1495. Standing on a hill, its wooden frame-houses crowd the small streets.

Bourbon-Lancy is a spa town and its thermal springs have treated visitors for centuries, starting with the likes of Cardinal Richelieu, James II of England and Catherine de Medici. and continuing on to today’s health-conscious visitors.

Decize

Decize, standing on a rocky island in the Loire, is a major destination in the central France canal system. Here the Canal du Nivernais joins the Canal Latéral à la Loire. Decize is a boarding place for barge and small boat trips on the river from the Vieille Loire quay. Hire a boat from the excellent small company, le boat. From here you can go north up the Nivernais Valley, west to Nevers or south to Roanne.

Once fortified to defend its strategic position, the ramparts, walls and towers of the city offer a good walk. They once enclosed the old castle of the Counts of Nevers. A clock tower and the Saint-Aré church dating back to the 7^th-century complete the tour.

The final part of the Loire Valley Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers drive

From Decize it’s just a delightful 35 kms/22 miles drive on the D981 beside the Loire as it makes it way up to Nevers. It will take you around 40 minutes.

Nevers is one of the Loire Valley’s great towns. Here’s more on Nevers including what to see and where to stay.

So it’s the end of the first part taking you along the Loire Valley from Le-Puy-en-Velay to Nevers. The next Loire Valley drive takes you from Nevers up to the lovely city of Orléans.

Nevers Tourist Office

More Information

Loire Valley Towns and Cities including attractions, places to stay and how to get to each one

Loire Valley Drive in Sections

From Nevers to Orléans
From Orléans to Blois
From Blois to Tours
From Tours to Saumur
From Saumur to Saint Nazaire and the Atlantic Ocean

French Atlantic Coast

Major Rivers of France

Loire à Velo Route – Where to stay, how to book and attractions to see on this great cycle route

Budget Hotel Chains give you some good options on cheap (and good) accommodation in all parts of France

Departments of France

New Regions of France

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What we all miss most about France has become even more difficult to tolerate as France slowly opens up. France is so tantalisingly close and yet…Attractions, sites, museums, cafés and more all over the country are opening their doors this week. Close to the UK, the long, sandy beaches of north France beckon – perfect for social distancing. However for us in the UK, trips to France are still uncertain.

The very real possibility of getting there soon brings on a real yearning for the country.

It’s the little things

What I miss most about France are the little things.

Freshly baked croissants

I woke up this morning with an overwhelming desire for a fresh croissant. My house in the remote Auvergne is in a tiny hamlet with no shops. So when we’re there, we get up and bicycle the 5 kilometres along the gorges of the Allier river to the nearby small village which has one alimentation attached to the bakery. We buy fresh croissants, still warm from the oven, then go for a coffee in the local café eating some of them before cycling back, keeping some of those croissants for later.

When we first bought the house decades ago, the café was run by a man who had a steel plate in his head – a casualty of the war. He ran a multi-faceted business: café, petrol station and building materials shop. To us, he was the Pastis and cement man.

French Greetings

There’s the cheerful ‘Bonjour monsieur-dame’ when you go into any shop (apart from the odd exception, usually a cashier like the non-smiling grim-faced lady at Monoprix in Antibes). The greeting is a connection made, an acknowledgement that you’re somebody there with them. The greeting works wonders.

In the same vein, I do missing all that kissing. It can get a bit tedious in my region; sometimes hitting 5 kisses. I put it down to the slow pace of life – have they forgotten the first one by the time they get to the fifth? Or perhaps it’s just another way to pass the day. 

Visits to Unknown Places

I miss visiting small, unknown châteaux. It’s particularly relevant in my region where there aren’t very many. Take the Château de la Rochelambert. For years it quietly promoted the legend that Georges Sand stayed here with her lover, Chopin. It wasn’t quite like that; in fact the formidable writer spent just one afternoon here on June 4, 1859. And her lover? Nowhere to be seen.

The château clings to the hillside that rises above it, a massive, sturdy building of granite hugging the slope for comfort. It’s charming, and despite the debunking, there’s a bedroom dedicated to Georges Sand, with portraits and letters on display.

I love the small rooms and remember walking through the quiet château as dust motes quivered in the sunlight coming through the windows. Nobody there, just me and ghosts from the past – surely that was Georges Sand disappearing behind that door?

And the Château de la Rochelambert is now open. You just have to book in advance.

Restaurants, cafés and bars

I miss the busy waiters, immaculately dressed in black with long white aprons around their waists, even in the height of summer in the resorts along the south of France. They negotiate the tightly packed tables with consummate skill, trays balanced at shoulder height with glasses of beer, Pastis with jugs of water, citron pressé for those after a healthy drink, or a cure for a hangover.

I even miss the rude waiters of the past. Years ago, the French government ran a campaign to teach hitherto rude or indifferent waiters how to charm their customers. That year we went back to one of my favorites: Thoumieux which in those days was a wonderful, local and inexpensive brasserie, with the aforesaid grumpy waiters. They had changed; they were polite; they smiled! It was not the same experience at all.

Gardens – French formality vs English wildness?

I miss the slightly smug feeling of superiority when I’m visiting gardens in France. Looking at those military-style parterres with their regimented flowers and longing for the English approach of herbaceous borders spilling over onto brick paths, and rolling parkland dotted with mature trees.

What I miss most about France…less health and safety!

I remember visiting the gorgeous château at Ainy-le-Vieil, one of the best preserved fortresses from the 14^th century. I was on a press trip covering gardens in the Loire Valley.

It is still in the family of the original owner, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV’s Finance Minister, passing where needed through the female line. The redoubtable current owner, a Princess no less, wanted to show us the ramparts and the view. We dutifully climbed the stone spiral staircase to the top where the Princess was trying to open a door. She pushed hard and voilà! We were out on the ramparts that ran around the castle. They were about one metre wide with a battlemented wall to one side and the other? A sheer drop into the courtyard and no railing.

And just chilling out in my house in the Auvergne

I miss just sitting in my garden waiting for the train on the Train de Cevennes line going past way down in the gorges at exactly…11.27am. Yes, you can just see it.

There’s a whistle seemingly far away then the train comes out of the tunnel into the gorges, trundles along…how many carriages this time?…then disappears into another tunnel to continue on its journey.

Jam Making

And buying the apricots (testing them for sweetness first), and sugar for jam then spending hours making quantities of apricot jam to take home to London. It keeps a little bit of summer going for a very long time.

Looking out at dawn

Looking out of the window in the morning as the mist rises slowly in the valley.

And watching the sun set

Looking out of the window as the sun slowly sets on the small ruined chapel on a hillside far away.

Or just looking…

And I miss sitting on the rock just outside my house and looking over the valley, feeling on top of the world.

I miss France. What about you?

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The Auvergne is one of France’s neglected remote regions. So I hope this Auvergne travel guide will show you the glories of this relatively unknown region of France.

Why visit the Auvergne?

Ask people why they should visit the Auvergne and even those who come to France fairly often are hard put to answer. Invariably there’s a blank look and an answer such as ‘Why visit the Auvergne? Where exactly is that?’

So where is the Auvergne?

The Auvergne is in central France at the heart of the Massif Central. Historically one of the poorest and most rural areas of France, it’s still a relatively wild area. Extinct volcanoes (puys) march across the countryside, offering walks across a landscape that seems to be the roof of the world. Rivers make their way majestically through deep gorges; forests, still home to deer and wild boar, cover much of the land. 

The Auvergne may sound inhospitable but it’s not. I bought a house here just after leaving university (quite a time ago I have to admit) in a tiny hamlet near Le Puy-en-Velay. The local farmers were initially baffled by us (there are still very few foreigners in the region and when we bought the house, we were definitely a novelty). But they took us to their hearts, starting with help on rebuilding the large roof. The main farmer in the village brought timber for the roof down through the logging trails that surround the village, and appeared at 4am one morning to sheet over the exposed house when the weather broke and the heavens opened. His wife gave help when my son burnt his hand on an oil lamp, and as for the bee sting… But that’s another story. (To be continued!)

So to continue with my Auvergne Travel Guide…

Look at a map of France from almost any normal tourist point of view: châteaux; vineyards; major attractions; and there’s a big blank hole in the middle which is the Auvergne. It’s one of the reasons why I love this region with a passion. It’s unspoilt, lacking the sophistication of its big neighbor Rhône-Alpes, but with the biggest heart and soul you could hope to find.

About the Auvergne

Four departments make up the Auvergne. The Allier (03) is in the north, Puy de Dôme (63) lies in the middle, and the Cantal (15) and Haute Loire (43) (where the Loire rises) are in the south. The main city, and capital of both the region and of Puy de dôme, is Clermont-Ferrand. The city might be the home of Michelin, but it’s a long way from an industrial conglomerate.

Allier Department (03)

Moulins is the capital of the Allier. Located on the river, it’s a delightful city well worth a visit if just for the Centre National du Costume de Scène. The national centre holds a vast collection of stage costumes, stage sets and theatrical accessories, as well as the Nureyev Collection with costumes and artefacts from his astonishing career.

Puy de Dôme Department (63)

Clermont-Ferrand is the capital of the Puy de Dôme department, as well as the whole of the Auvergne. It’s famous as the home of Michelin tyres, but with its medieval quarter and old cobbled meandering streets, it feels more like a typical French city than an industrial centre.

Michelin is still big here, supporting the local football team and a host of local projects. Well worth seeing is the Aventure Michelin which tells the story of the company, still owned by the private Michelin family. There’s an impressive cathedral built of black basalt and good restaurants. The nearby Puy de Dôme is easy to visit.

Cantal Department (15)

Aurillac holds the honours as capital of the Cantal. It’s a lively town, with ancient streets and the beautiful Place St-Géraud. The town is best known for its annual Street Theatre Festival which has to be seen to be believed. In 2020 it’s from 19^th to 22^nd August.

Haute-Loire Department (43)

The capital of the Haute-Loire, tucked down in the south of the Auvergne, is the splendid town of Le Puy-en-Velay. I have seen it change, from remarkably sleepy provincial and rural capital to a more prosperous place. It’s dominated by its religious icons, perched on top of volcanic outcrops. The cathedral dominates the old town and it was from here that countless medieval pilgrims set out on their long journey to Saint James of Compostella in Spain. Today, the most popular pilgrim walking route starts here at the cathedral.

More Auvergne Towns and Cities to Visit

Vichy

50 kms (31 miles) north of Clermont-Ferrand, Vichy still suffers as the place for the puppet government of Marshal Pétain during World War II. Forget that and concentrate on its famous springs. It’s still a city where the French flock to for treatments, so is rather staid. But it’s also full of Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings and gardens, that helped nurse the ailing visitors back to rude health.

St Flour

St-Flour in the Cantal is 92 kms (57 miles) south of Clermont. A long and august history gave it its 14^th-century Gothic cathedral with its remarkable interior. The bishop’s palace houses the Musée de la Haute-Auvergne with furniture and musical instruments. There’s a very good market on Saturday mornings. It’s in the Aubrac, a high region where the cattle graze peacefully in summer and the snow sweeps over the high plateaus in winter.

St Nectaire

St-Nectaire has two parts: the old village of St-Nectaire-le-Haut and St-Nectaire-le-Bas, a spa with turn of the century architecture. In between there’s a huge salt marsh.

Salers

Salers, 42 kms north of Aurillac, is one of the very pretty towns and villages of the region (and it’s official; it’s on the Plus Beaux Villages de France government list). It’s like stepping into a  15^th– and 16^th-century picture book with splendid old houses and squares.

The Puys of the Auvergne

The Monts-Dômes, the Monts-Dore and the Monts du Cantal make up the impressive Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne. It’s a lonely, beautiful spectacular area.

In the Mont- Dômes surrounding Clermont-Ferrand, the Puy de Dôme is one of the highlights of the region. At 1465 metres high, it was the result of a mighty volcanic explosion some 10,000 years ago. Take the railway to the top for truly wonderful views and the sight of paragliders leaping into nothing from the summit.

The Monts-Dore is more rugged. Here the Dordogne river rises near the little town of Le Mont-Dore on the Puy de Sancy, at 1885 the highest point in the Massif Central. Take the cable car for more of those views.

Don’t Miss Attractions

Vulcania

In a landscape of volcanoes, it’s not surprising to find a theme park devoted to them. Vulcania is interactive with a 3D film on eruptions in the Auvergne and enough attractions for a good family day out.

Tourist Train through the Allier Gorges

If you’re in the Haute-Loire, take the tourist train that runs through the Allier Gorges between Langeac and Langogne. It’s a great ride through the gorges, looking down at the flowing river and up at the little villages that cling to the hillside. It’s 2-hour trip through 53 tunnels.  

Sports in the Auvergne

This is the region for all kinds of sports. It’s one of the great walking areas, with grandes randonées, walking paths that are well maintained and signposted snaking through the region. The best one is the route that takes you from Le Puy-en-Velay, the start of the medieval pilgrims’ way to Spain.

The Allier offers white water rafting, and high puys offer paragliding. Check in each local town or village for information.

Food of the Auvergne

Being a rural region, the Auvergne’s food reflects its roots. Unlike the refined cuisine of nearby Burgundy, this is peasant food. Try heartening dishes like potée Auvergnate, a pot-au-feu made of cabbage, potatoes, bacon, beans and turnips. Cabbage features again in chou farci where the vegetable is stuffed with beef and pork. L’aligot mixes puréed potatoes and cheese to make a rib-sticking superb filler of stomachs.
Try all of these dishes and more. I hope this Auvergne travel guide gives you an appetite for rustic cooking.

There are five major Auvergne cheeses, all of them with the Appellation d’Origine Controlée designation.
St-Nectaire is the best known, a cheese made from cows’ milk. It’s made either on the farms themselves (Saint-Nectaire fermier), or in dairies (the Saint-Nectaire laitier).
Cantal is one of France’s oldest cheeses. It gets its different tastes from how long it has been aged.
Fourme d’Ambert is a mild blue cheese, while Bleu d’Auvergne is punchier and to my mind, better than the saltier Roquefort.
Salers is the fifth of Auvergne’s great cheeses. It’s farm produced during the summer months (mid-April to mid-November using unpasteurized milk.

Getting to the Auvergne

By Air

There are 2 major airports to use. Clermont Airport is at Aulnat, 7 kms (3.5 miles) east of the city center.
Major airlines like KLM, Air France fly to Clermont-Ferrand from the UK but you have to change in Paris. During the holiday season (starting at Easter), Ryanair flies direct to Clermont-Ferrand from London Stansted. There are connections to Paris Orly or Charles de Gaulle, Lyon, Nice, Corsica and other European cities.
Lyon is a much better bet as there are numerous well-priced flights from the UK. You can easily hire a car at the airport.

By Car

If you’re taking your car, the journey will depend on your Auvergne destination. But Clermont-Ferrand is a good starting point. It’s 423 kilometers (262 miles) from Paris and the drive takes around 4 hours.

If you are coming from the UK by car, take the ferry to Calais. From Calais to Clermont, the distance is 720 kms (448 miles), so it’s best to break the journey.

Clermont-Ferrand is 423 kilometers (262 miles) from Paris and by car takes around 4 hours. If you are coming from the UK by car, take the ferry to Calais. From Calais to Clermont, the distance is 720 kms (448 miles), so it’s best to break the journey.

Check out the ferry possibilities here.

Auvergne Office Tourist Site

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