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Sport and leisure activities

Aerial sports

Hang gliding

Delta Auvergne – At Ambert - t 04 73 82 91 41 or 06 80 40 07 00 - www.delta-auvergne.com

Leisure aircraft and gliders

Auvergne aero-club – At Clermont-Ferrand - t 04 73 92 00 56. Aircraft and ULM school of piloting, initiation flights, aerial acrobatics, first flights, outings, by appointment.

Livradois aero-club – At Ambert - t 04 73 82 01 64 - www.aeroclub-ambert.fr

Pierre-Herbaud aero-club – Issoire-Le Broc aerodrome - t 04 73 89 16 62 - perso.wanadoo.fr/acph

Hot air balloons

France Balloons – t 02 54 32 20 48 - www.franceballoons.com (in English).

Ballons de la Grande Vallée – At St-Nectaire - t 04 73 88 40 00 - www.stn-aventures.com. Hot air balloon flights in the heart of the Sancy mountain range.

Objectif Montgolfière – At Aydat - t 04 73 60 11 90 - www.objectif-montgolfiere.com

Quatre Vents – At Pontgibaud - t 04 73 62 29 30. Fly over Auvergne volcano park.

Velay hot air balloon club – At St-Jeures - t 04 71 65 47 89 or 06 86 10 55 17 - www.montgolfiere-club-velay.com

Paragliding

French Federation of Paragliding - www.parapente.ffvl.fr

Aero Paragliding – t 06 61 24 11 45 - www.aeroparapente.fr. Before signing up for a course, go on a two-seater paragliding flight with a pilot.

Volcano Centre – At Genès-Champanelle - t 04 73 62 26 00 - www.espacevolcan.fr

Mont-Dore Paragliding – Sites in the Sancy mountain range used by the Mont-Dore paragliding club and available from the tourist office.

Para l’Aile – At Orcet - t 04 73 84 45 00 or 06 80 08 25 41.

ULM

Combrailles Aero Club – At St-Priest-des-Champs. First flights.

ULM Auvergne – At Maringues - t 04 73 68 69 22.

ULM seen from above – At Saint-Gal-sur-Sioule - t 06 80 27 15 64.

Free flying

Auvergne Free-flying League – At Veyre-Monton - t 06 71 20 47 81 - ligueauvergne.vollibre.neuf.fr

Bicycling

www.rhone.fr – Information about cycling routes in the département.

French Federation of Cyclotourism – t 01 56 20 88 88 - www.ffct.org.

French Federation of Cycling – t 01 49 35 69 24 - www.ffc.fr.

www.sitesvtt.com – Devoted to mountain biking.

Auvergne Regional League of Cyclotourism – t 04 73 80 69 16 - www.auvergne-velo.fr (in English).

Chamina – t 04 73 92 81 44 - www.chamina.com. This association publishes mountain bike and hiking guides.

French Federation of Cycling – t 01 49 35 69 24 - www.ffc.fr

Boating cruises

Live aboard boats

Live aboard craft are fitted out for 2 to 12 people. Boats are hired without captains and do not require a permit.

From Lyon to the sea, the descent of the Rhône will take you past 12 locks over 310km. The average boater takes 2 days to cruise down this section of the Rhône.

Mainly devoted to pleasure boating, the Roanne Canal at Digoin features some 55km and 10 locks.

Boats can be hired at Port-sur-Saône, Gray, St-Jean-de-Losne and Roanne.

Organised cruises

Countless companies organise excursions of varying lengths.

Nautiboat – t 04 74 66 97 70 - www.nautiboat01.com. Outings (from 15min to 2 ½ hours) leaving from Trévoux, Albigny, Curis-au-Mont-d’Or, Anse, Jassans-Riottier, Montmerle-sur-Saône and Belleville.

Navig’Inter – t 04 78 42 96 81 - www.naviginter.fr (in English). Cruises, excursions, meals down the Rhône and Saône, leaving from Lyon.

Les Marins d’eau douce – t 04 77 69 92 92. Dinner cruises on the Roanne Canal at Digoin.

Climbing

French Federation of Mountains and Climbing – t 01 40 18 75 50 - www.ffme.fr.

Clermont-­Auvergne Mountaineering Club – t 04 73 90 81 62 - www.clubalpin-clermontauvergne.fr.

Sites for beginners in the Puy-de-Dôme

At Ancizes (Pont du Bouchet, la Chartreuse), Blot-l’Église (Châteauneuf), Ceyrat (gorges and Champeaux), Chapdes-Beaufort (Père des Rioux), Rochefort-Montagne (Tuilière), Saurier, Sauviat, Valcivières (Puy rock), Verrières (le Rivalet). Information: enquire at the town hall or tourist office of the relevant towns or consult ffme63.fr

Golf

Auvergne Golf League – www.ligolf-auvergne.com

Hiking

French Federation of Hiking – t 01 44 89 93 93 - www.ffrp.asso.fr.

Chamina – t 04 73 92 81 44 - www.chamina.com. This association publishes some sixty hiking guides, maps and brochures for Auvergne.

Chamina-Voyages – t 04 66 69 00 44 - www.chamina-voyages.com. Several circuits in Auvergne for adults, children and families.

Hiking trails

GR 3 – From Puy-en-Velay to Bourbonnais.

GR 4 – Upper plateaux of Auvergne, from Saint-Flour to Aubusson (274km).

GR 7 and its offshoots take in a tour of the Beaujolais and Lyonnais mountains.

GR 30 – Tour of the lakes of Auvergne, La Bourboule at Saint-Nectaire (183km).

GR 40 – Tour of the Velay, Vorey, Montbonnet, Goubet.

GR 42 dominates the Rhône Valley, commanding fine panoramas.

GR 330 – Tour of the Livradois-Forez.

GR 400 – Tour of the Cantal volcanoes, Murat, le Lioran, Thiézac (133km).

GR 420 tours the Upper Vivarais in around ten days.

GR 429, which hooks up with the GR 9, climbs up to the Drôme Préalpes as far as Trois-Becs, linking both banks of the Rhône.

GR 441 – Tours the Puys, Volvic, Pontgibaud, Pessade (108km) mountain ranges.

The GR de pays “Tour de Tanargue”, signposted with red and yellow stripes, covers the Vivaroises Cévennes by the ridges.

Horse trekking

Auvergne Regional Board of Equestrian Tourism – t 04 73 85 54 05. - www.equitation-auvergne.com

Rhône-Alpes Association of Equestrian Tourism – t 04 76 42 85 88 - www.isere-cheval-vert.com

Spas

Auvergne spas – t 04 73 34 72 80 - www.auvergne-thermale.com

Thermhôtel – t 04 73 34 72 80 - www.thermhotel.com. This hotel chain offers many fitness and wellness packages.

National Union of Spa Establishments – t 01 53 91 05 75 - www.france-thermale.org

Chaîne thermale du soleil – t 01 44 71 37 00 - www.chainethermale.fr

White water sports

Canoe-kayaking

French Federation of Canoe-kayaking – t 01 45 11 08 50 - www.ffcanoe.asso.fr. In conjunction with the IGN, the federation publishes a map of Auvergne’s navigable waterways.

Asv’olt – At Vieillevie - t 04 71 49 95 81 - www.asvolt.com.

Tonic Aventure – At Langeac - t 04 71 77 25 64 - www.kayak.fr (in English).

Rafting

Most rafting in Auvergne takes place in the Upper Loire in the gorges of the Upper Allier.

French Federation of Canoe-kayaking – t 01 45 11 08 50 - www.ffcanoe.asso.fr

Upper Allier rafting – At Monistrol-d’Allier - t 04 71 57 23 90 - www.raft-canyon.fr. Descents down rapids ideal for white water sports (rafting, hot dog, canoe-kayaking).

Wine

Ardèche

2000 Ardèche Wines-House of Winegrowers – t 04 75 89 04 86 - www.lesvinsdardeche.com (in English). Itineraries of winegrowers and list of Pays des Coteaux de l’Ardèche and AOC côtes-du-vivarais wine producers.

Beaujolais

Official Beaujolais website –t 04 74 07 27 50 - www.beaujolais.com (in English).

Côtes-du-Rhône

List of wine cellars and wine routes from:

Maison des vins de Tournon – t 04 75 07 91 50

Other wines

Côtes d’Auvergne (Puy-de-Dôme) – t 04 73 69 79 94 (Wine growing federation of Puy-de-Dôme). The Federation has mapped out three wine routes: Riomois, Clermontois and Lembronnais.

Saint-Pourçain (Allier) – The Saint-Pourçain tourist office proposes a map (with a route and addresses of cellars) - t 04 70 45 32 73 - www.tourismesaintpourcinois.com.

Winter sports

Three important alpine and cross-country ski resorts: Le Mont-Dore, Super-Besse and Le Lioran.

Association of French winter sports resorts-Ski France – t 01 47 42 23 32 - www.skifrance.fr (in English).

Skiing domains

Parrot – 39km of ski slopes.

Le Guéry – 42km of ski slopes.

Haut Cantal-Puy Mary – 78km of ski slopes in 3 sites, including Le Claux and Le Falgoux.

Le Lioran-Haute Planèze – 140km of ski slopes on 5 sites, including Le Lioran.

Pessade – 36km of ski slopes.

L’Espace Nordique Sancy – 300km of ski slopes on 8 sites, including Le Mont-Dore and Super-Besse.

Les Crêtes du Forez – 164km of ski slopes on 5 sites, including Saint-Anthème.

Plomb du Cantal-Carladez – 50km of ski slopes on 5 sites.

Les monts d’Aubrac – 120km of ski slopes.

Légal Pass – 33km of ski slopes.

Snowshoes and dog sledding

The Sancy mountain range (Chaudefour valley) such as the Monts du Cantal (Mandailles valley) are remarkable sites for snowshoe hiking. Alternatively, you could explore snowbound Auvergne on a dog sled:

Association Les P’tits Loups de la Banne – t 04 73 81 09 39 or 06 85 03 13 04.

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