Some say “Amazonia”, others “Canada”. Of course, they laugh about it among themselves. But still… It is true that standing firmly above the meanders of Queuille or facing the Gour de Tazenat, in front of the waves of the Sioule river or the snow-capped Puys chain in the distance, we could suddenly believe , to be somewhere else than in the middle of France, in the heart of Auvergne, in the north-west of the Massif Central, in the Combrailles.

The Amazon? The Sioule, a river tamed by two dams, bypasses at one point of its course a promontory which it encircles almost luxuriantly in an almost perfect loop. Fortunately, it is possible to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon that has become a symbol of the region from a vantage point. It’s excellent. A few birds of prey fly. Depending on the season, the earth is covered with the radiant white of snow, the shimmering green of spring, the bright red of autumn.

Above the Belvedere, a small stairway leads to the hill on which a castle once stood, from where you can admire another fine view, this time including the dam below. There are other meanders on the Sioule, a river with a very irregular course: Montfermy, Châteauneuf-les-Bains (village that also has very pleasant thermal baths, with a jacuzzi on a sunny terrace) and Pont de Menat also offer these fantasies of water from the appreciable points of view.

Canada? At the top of a volcano, private property, there is a lake, the Gour de Tazenat, quoted by Maupassant in Mount Oriol, 700 meters in diameter, more than 60 meters deep and an almost perfect circle. Fish (perch, pike, carp, etc.) are plentiful, as are fishermen. A trail goes around in an hour’s walk.

The chain of Puys appears opposite. From up there you can discover this land of expanses, moors and bocage. To make it better known, the region changes its name on January 1^ah July is now called Combrailles-Auvergne. “There is a lack of spontaneous awarenessexplains Yann Garnache, Director of the Tourist Office. The volcanoes are well located, not the Combrailles. Creating this brand is a first step towards greater visibility. »

Architectural masterpiece

To better appreciate the wild beauty of the Combrailles, you have to climb the Fades viaduct, inaugurated in 1909, between the towns of Sauret-Besserve and Ancizes-Comps. An architectural feat: two granite quarry stone stacks in a line, the tallest in the world at the time of their construction (92 metres), and a metal viaduct that crossed the Sioule. Until 2007 the train from Lapeyrouse to Volvic ran there. Today, the viaduct is home to one of the region’s most popular attractions: the Vélorail des Fades.

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