Livradois-Forez area

Joined together by the River Dore, the Livradois and Forez look out over a land of grass and trees, traditions and know-how, shaped by nourishing waters.

In the East of the Massif Central there is a marvellous kingdom of wide-open spaces.
The landscape is hard to get a grip on at first. In the middle flows the River Dore, with its life-giving waters.
On its right bank, the Monts du Forez, covered with pine forests, seem as though they have been untouched since the dawn of time.
On its left bank, the Livradois reigns, made up of a series of plateaux and granite outcrops, divided by hollows to a height of up to 1,200 metres (at Notre-Dame de Mons). The disorder of the relief of this restive land becomes calmer near the town of Ambert.

At the sources of energy

Architectural crafts remind us of the importance of water, the most discreet of elements.
Man has adopted it and put it to work. It made the fortune of Thiers in particular. The combination of the Dore and the spirited Durolle enabled the town to become the capital of cutlery making from the 16th century.
. Located in the centre of Thiers, the Museum and House of Cutlery traces the history of this art.
The Valley of the Durolle, with a series of abandoned factories, is a nostalgic stroll to the impressive “Creux de l’Enfer” waterfalls.
At Ambert, water has been used for the odyssey of paper. In the 16th century, more than three hundred paper mills operated in the area.
A special reminder of those prestigious times remains: Richard-de-Bas Mill, an ecomuseum that brings the history of the industry back to life.

Power and Faith

Last but not least, it would be impossible to leave the Livradois-Forez area without a moment of meditation before its stones of wisdom (many dolmens such as the “Pierre Couverte” – Covered Stone – at Boisseyre can be found around the region).
Here again, Romanesque art offers a real crop of churches and buildings.
The village of Lavaudieu, classified as one of “The Most Beautiful Villages of France”, has a Romanesque cloister that has remained intact, while the Church at Glaine-Montaigut in itself sums up a century of Romanesque art.

At the initiative of the Livradois-Forez Regional Nature Park, the Route des Métiers (Trades Road) invites the visitor to discover craftsmen’s workshops and museums that keep tradition and know-how alive in this land of excellence.