holiday
cottage in France
rural house - full rental
An exceptional surrounding for this
vacation rental in France, in the heart of the volcano park, in Auvergne,
close to Vulcania.
A lovely holiday cottage in France, in Allanche (a village with all local
shops) at an altitude of 1000 metres.The protected nature where forests,
lakes and rivers will embellish your walks and make the delight of fishermen,
starting point of numerous trips, walk rides, bicycle touring. Those who
are keen on great landscapes, peace and pure air will be overjoyed. A
warm French wellcome in this haven of peace, a spacious & charming
old stone country house with character, tastefully decorated.
The villa is equipped with a washing machine
& dish washer,microwave,iron and...a fireplace with wood .
television, telephone. possibility to use fax & e-mail close by
.
the accomodation is rated three stars.
The first floor is quite bright thanks to the 5 French windows.
Garage,set of garden furniture, barbecue, parasol,various games at your
disposal....
in the vacation rental : 2 bedrooms
with a double bed each and 1 bedroom with 2 single beds.
We will be delighted to wellcome you discreetly and show you the places where
you will pick mushroom or red berries, the best plans to watch the stagsbell,
the rocks under which the trouts are inevitably hidden. You will be wellcome
in local clubs of mountain bikes, bicycle touring, petanque, cross-country skiing,
tennis, national heritage development sites, hunting, fishing in 1st class rivers
for trouts.
(Super Lioran and its cable car, Super Besse), numerous medieval sites to discover.
Allanche is surrounded with woods, waterfalls, rivers and lakes which will freshen
your walks in those varied landscapes so peculiar to Auvergne.
If the rental is free, stay longer with
50% off
We can also furnish linen...
contact
: if
you don't speak French and prefer a phone call : 33 (0)4.71.48.64.20 / gite
number : 633
Denise JALENQUES
15160 Allanche
Tél : 04.71.20.40.71
French time is one hour ahead of UK time and
6 hours ahead of New York time, i.e. at 10.00 p.m. in Allanche it is 9.00 p.m.
in London and 4 p.m. in New York.
The Cantal is known as the land where water reigns .
In this region where nature is king, the aspects of water and the vital elements
are as original as numerous. Springs, torrents, rivers, waterfalls, lakes and
ponds, peat bogs, all in the same area offer refreshing pleasures.
A gift from the sky. - With more than 2500 miles
(4000 km) of rivers and streams and more than 6250 acres (2500 ha) of lakes
and reservoirs, water plays an important role in The Cantal. Water everywhere,
either trapped in basins or held back by the concrete walls at dams, or even
cascading over obstacles left by volcanic activities and the glaciers.
All the rivers spring from the hillside of the biggest volcano of Europe: the
volcano of Cantal.
The thousand and one facets of water in the Cantal, running or stagnant, make
up for an incredible diversity in ecosystems that adds to the department's reputation
where nature is king. You will discover nature untouched, either overgrown vegetation
in the peat bogs of the mountainous massif or like the hollows of the basaltic
plateau of Saint-Flour, used as a stopover by common cranes.
A paradise for fishermen - For many fishermen,
locals or not, the department of The Cantal is like the cherry on the cake with
its authentic streams, its dammed lakes full of fish, its beautiful landscapes
and its warm welcome. Protected by the agents of the Superior Council for Fishing,
these aquatic environments have a large piscicultural fauna (variety in fish).
People who like to fish in natural conditions will be able to fulfil their wildest
dreams on the banks of many streams.. They will find the local trout, called
the trout fario, often accompanied by chubs, minnows and loaches. The dammed
lakes of the Cantal, the largest fishing reservoirs in Auvergne, are crowded
with flesh-eating fish like Zanders or Pikes but also with lake trout's which
can weigh more than 20lb (10 kg). The 17 local fishermen associations (AAPPMA)
will be happy to show you specific routes and to share the riches of a still
untouched nature.
Cantal truffade (the local potato gratin)
2lb of potatoes, 7 oz of fresh Tomme (local cheese in the stage before the cheese
gets ripened), 3 or 4 slices of fat, groundnut oil, salt and pepper. Put a drop
of oil in a heated cast-iron stewing pan, add fat and potatoes that have been
washed, peeled and cut into thin slices. Add salt and pepper and braise gently
for 20 / 30 min. Remove the cooked potatoes from heat and add the cheese cut
into slices. The warmth of the potatoes will melt the cheese. Mix until the
cheese has completely melted and serve immediately.
The green island - Between the Dore-Mounts (Monts-Dore)
and the Cantal Mounts (Monts du Cantal), the high plateau of the Cézallier
makes a point in keeping its insular nature with its average altitude of 3960ft
(1200m). Virgin and mysterious, this concentration of infinite landscapes characterized
by its pasture lands scattered with "burons" (traditional buildings
where cheese was made), is the domain of the "Estive". Summer pastures
par excellence, where visitors can still follow the animals on the large plateaux
during the fair of l'Estive which takes place every year in May in the town
of Allanche.Delimited in the East by the Alagnon Valley, the Cézallier
still offers the possibility to have a nice poetical stroll in the region of
Massiac, a small atypical basin, which enchants thanks to its Mediterranean
aspect. From the top of the picturesque rocky peak
of the Romanesque chapel of Sainte Madeleine, visitors can discover the beautiful
town centre of Massiac enclosed by the basaltic peak of Saint Victor and its
rich Neolithic vestiges on the other side of the river. Massiac is a cultural
place which shelters many treasures, such as the rear "Vierge Ouvrante"
(Virgin with open arms) of the 15th century. These treasures are preserved in
the Saint André's church or in the Elise Rieul's museum, a unique place
in France dedicated to women painters of the 20th century.
Hikes in Cézallier - Peaceful land where
pastures undulate as far as the eye can see, the Cézallier is the region
of quiet hiking. Within 4 or 9 days, "the path of red cows" (le sentier
des vaches rouges) will lead you between gentians and burons to discover this
region entirely dedicated to the pastures that so pleases the Salers cows. Less
experienced hikers will appreciate astonishing landscapes along 40 short signposted
footpaths. From the Pinatelle forest which is renowned for its deer population,
visitors come to hear them bell in autumn at the magnificent waterfall of the
Saillant, close to Marcenat. Devoted nature lovers will be delighted!
A water island - In Cézallier, water, either quiet on the lakebeds
or wild when rushing down steep waterfalls, will accompany visitors' discovery
of the region. Active or contemplative, you will appreciate, several kilometres
away from Allanche, the 55 acres (22ha) lake of Pêcher with its pure and
generous waters appreciated by fly fishermen. In this place, at the edge of
the Pinatelle woods, every season offers its magic and trappers from the far
north will not resist to go for a sleigh ride or a steep slope on the ski domain
of 30000 acres (12000ha) of the Cézallier and the Cantal.
Cheese and dessert - If Auvergne is "a great
plate of cheese", it is also due to these fertile pastures of Cézallier
where Cantal cheese was first made, 2000 years ago, and which is now AOC (a
guarantee of origin) since 1957. Different intensities are available; from the
Cantal "jeune" (young) to the Cantal "vieux" (old), this
flagship of the traditional agriculture of Auvergne has to be tasted simply
with some grapes or walnuts or on a slice of bread. Visitors will be pleased
with its taste and its history as willingly told by local farmers. For dessert,
visitors can then bite into a delicious little macaroon the pride of Massiac's
gastronomical reputation.
The curiosities of the gorges of Truyère
- Did you know that Gustave Eiffel built one of its largest and boldest masterpieces
at the end of the gorges of Truyère? With its parabolic central arch,
a miracle for the 19th century, the 412ft (125m) Viaduct of Garabit is a steel
giant which always surprises its visitors. Nearby, close to the end of the world,
the beautiful town of Chaudes-Aigues, nestled in the ravine of Remontalou, is
another unusual spot. Its springs are the hottest in Europe with 180°F(82°C).
"La Source du Par" (Par Spring) will reveal all the secrets of its
warm water, which has been shared amongst the houses since ancient times.
Sporting escape - Either by climbing up the scaling wall of Coltines
or by a trip in the air in a hot-air balloon over the Viaduct of Garabit, it
is easy to gain altitude in the region of Saint-Flour. The unique and magical
site of Garabit is mainly known for its steel giant though it hides many other
surprises. Fed by the Truyère River, the lake of Garabit-Grandval and
its deep waters stretch over nearly 17.5miles (28km) of embanked valley and
will consequently please all nautical activity lovers, from boat trips to water
skiing. As for fishermen, they will just have to choose among pikes, zanders
and perches, which crowd the 2750acres (1100ha) of this water stretch.
An invitation - Once in the Cezallier, at around
11am, men sit down at small "cafés" while waiting for the office
to end, to taste the local tripe with pork stuffing. You can repeat this experience
at the inns of Saint-Flour which propose this local speciality with lentils
of Planèze, not as famous, yet as tasty as those of le Puy-en-Velay.
The village of Salers -
Here, rich magistrate families built magnificent residences. These are now offering
this exceptional whole ensemble that can nowadays be admired (House of Bailliage,
- of Flogeac, - Laronade, - Lafarge, - Bertrandy …) These town houses from the
15th and the 16th centuries, built in volcanic stones with their heavy lauze
rooves, reflect the charm and the elegance of the Renaissance.
The bilberry, queen of the Massif Central -
Apart from in the Vosges (a French massif), the Massif Central is the only other
region where bilberry reigns. Every cook in Cantal knows it. You can go picking,
equipped with a comb, from August to September depending on the weather and
the altitude. Even if picking can be slightly tedious, visitors will quickly
forget their efforts while eating a delicious pie or a good "fromage frais"
with a handful of bilberries!
if
you don't speak French and prefer a phone call : 33 (0)4.71.48.64.20 / gite
number : 633