relaxing


	See Vichy and Moulins; the volcanic craters near Clermont Ferrand and the Puy de Dôme summit; the local small towns and country villages such as Charroux or Chantelle; the vineyards at St Pourçain and Chateaugay; Thiers - the centre of traditional knife-making in France; Lapalisse and the lovely montagne Bourbonnaise; the lakes at Servant, Tazenat and Besserves are all worth a visit.
The area was very active up until the eighteenth century and still contains fantastic treasures including dozens of masterpieces of mediaeval building.
People in this area like to eat, as much as anywhere in France, and roadside stalls are good places to taste fabulous foodstuffs. Cheeses and charcuterie are main local specialities as well as asparagus, strawberries, walnuts and wine.
bar at Camping de la Filature	See the view from the summit of the Puy de Dôme and go paragliding there, or go to the Besserves lake for sailing at reasonable prices. The Sioule area offers canoeing, walking, mountain biking and rock-climbing. You can look at castles, eat in a different restaurant every day, or simply go for a quiet picnic by the water's edge. The area is amazingly rich in wildlife and wildflowers in a setting of lakes and rivers, forests and mountains.