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La Chaise-Dieu
(Département de la Haute Loire in the Auvergne region)
In the heart of a harsh, wooded region -where the luminous austerity of the winter evening does not diminish in any way the splendour of summer-La Chaise-Dieu is a village, in the Haute Loire province, that has withstood the onslaught of time and elements.
A large hamlet of 780 inhabitants built at an altitude of 1100metres between Velay and Auvergne, La Chaise Dieu, forty kilometres from Puy-en-Velay, is completely huddled around its abbey and its majestic Gothic belfry. Founded in the C.11th by Saint Robert, the abbey provided a Pope for the church, Clement VI, elected in 1342, whilst another sovereign pontiff, John XXIII, sang the " Gloria " here in 1952 when he was still Monsignor Roncalli. The Cardinal de Rohan lived in the abbey and it belonged to the Cardinal Richelieu. But what ensures the fame of this sturdy edifice that was restored on the initiative of Prosper Mérimée, at the time inspector of historic buildings, is the C.15th cloister, the carved stalls of the C.17 th , the C.16th tapestries and the splendid fresco " The dance of the dead " dating from the C15th which runs right along the choir.
As for its exceptional acoustics, that no doubt is one of the main reasons why Georges Cziffra created a music festival here which very quickly acquired an international reputation, maintained and developed over the past twenty years by its present day director.
La Chaise-Dieu Festival
It counts among one of the greatest French classical music festivals and constitutes the spearhead of musical diffusion in the Haute Loire region and also in the Auvergne region and the neighbouring provinces. One of its main characteristics is that it takes place in a religious context , in the prestigious abbey of La Chaise Dieu and in a rural context.
It has raised itself to a position as one of the greatest French festivals by the well-known quality of its programmes in the domain of sacred music and more especially in the creation of church operas. Every year, for several years now, the French première and even the world creation of certain works have been performed here.
The fame and prestige of the Chaise-Dieu Festival are unanimously recognised by all the other French festivals which elected Monsieur Guy Ramona, its general director, as president of the French federation of international music festivals from 1992 to 1995
Information
Town Hall Tel : 04 71 00 01 57
Cluny
The town of Cluny that can be reached by the A7 motorway which you leave at the Macon Nord exit, was founded in 910 thanks to a gift of Guillaume d’Aquitaine. His gift served to build an abbey whose responsibility fell to the abbot of Baume. The latter then created a monastery of twelve monks who lived according to the rules of Saint Benoît. The new abbey depended directly on Rome thus escaping any regional or Episcopal authority.
This autonomy enabled the institution to devote itself entirely to the Holy Liturgy with an insistance on its aesthetics and the architecture that housed it.
Then Cluny’s success did nothing but increase. To such an extent that in the C.10th and C.11th the abbey was solicited to help to reform a number of monasteries. At the beginning of the C12th , it found itself at the head of more than a thousand monasteries, scattered throughout Europe. The abbot of Cluny thus became one of the most important figures in Christendom.
It disappeared in 1790, when religious vows were forbidden by a decree pronounced by the government of the French Revolution. The architecture itself was threatened by the vandalism and greed of certain "Sans-culottes" ( extremists). Of the church only one out of four belfries remains today, which nonetheless, does not mar the beauty of the building. Laid out in the form of the cross of Lorraine it is considered as one of the jewels of Burgundian Romanesque art. A little piece of history that should not be missed.
Information :
Tourist Office tel : 03 85 59 05 34
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/otcluny/
The hillsides of the Beaujolais region
Famous the world over for the quality of its wines this undulating region offers you its peace and calm. In every season you will admire the multiple shades of its vines and the ochre of its villages. The warm welcome proffered by its inhabitants will then be an invitation to taste their greatest vintages. If you visit the numerous chateaux, churches and chapels you will learn about the animated history of the Beaujolais region. And, in this way you will have a taste of the pleasantness of life in this region endowed with a mild climate.
The Sapins lake
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Created in 1979, the Sapins lake, 70 kilometres to the South-West of Lyons, is a vast stretch of water on the Reins. With a surface of 38 hectares, this lake, which is totally artificial, is very well provided with : a marine base, restaurants, beaches, horse-riding centres…All those little extras that make the difference. Beware however, of the quality of the water which is sometimes not up to scratch and especially, respect to the letter the safety rules and the marker buoys. Indeed, some currents and other dangerous whirlpools could catch you unawares outside the zones that are watched over by lifeguards.
The camping site on the lakeside is also worthy of consideration for a week-end in the country not too many kilometres away from the heart of Lyons. Good for the price, it enables you to make the most of the lake and the marked out rambling trails.
Nearby, the villages of Rono and Amplepuis are worth a visit. At Rono, if you feel like it, you can discover , in the middle of the cemetery, a magnificent little chapel. Dedicated to the memory of the family of the Comtes de Saint-Victor, it houses an amazing series of portraits. If you follow the cemetery road, a few metres away, you will come to the estate of this noble family. Unfortunately, you will only be able to catch a glimpse of the chateau which is closed to the public.
The Dombes of the thousand lakes
A vast stretch of land that dominates the valley of the Saône and the plain of the Ain, the Dombes region with its thousand lakes is a not-to-be-missed stopping place in your discovery of the Rhône-Alpes region. About thirty kilometres West of Lyons, the Dombes area is fascinating for its beauty that changes with the seasons. In Spring, the lakesides are covered with flowers. In Summer, the sun is reflected in the stretches of water. In Autumn, the Dombes takes on sparkling colours. In Winter, ice takes hold of the waters and ducks slip by. Not to mention the myriad birds that people the Dombes the whole year round. Besides, it is one of the ten regions in the world that welcomes so many birds. Let it be known to confirmed or budding birdwatchers who can take delight in the ornithological park of Villars-les-Dombes.
The Dombes region is not just an exceptional natural parkland ; it is also a place that harbours a unique and rich heritage. Inhabited since the C.11th it has been enhanced by those who lived there. With no stone at their disposal they had to use their sense of invention. The farms are built in wattle and daub, natural clay whose colour varies from yellow to ochre ; the mediaeval castles are built of red or dark red brick.If you were to visit the Dombes and not go to the mediaeval village of Peyrouge, it would be a heresy. Also to be seen are Ars, where the Holy Curate of Ars lived, and Châtillon sur Chalaronne.
Agriculture, fish-farming and hunting go to make up an exceptional, ecological heritage whose balance is fragile. From the point of view of gastronomy, frogs and carp form one of the greatest culinary traditions of the Dombes. It is the first lakewater fish producing region in France and it welcomes the Sunday fisher. In short, the Dombes region has all it needs to surprise you.
Information
Departmental Tourist Board of the Ain
Tel : 04 74 21 66 00
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