Camping Les Narcisses

There are many ways to explore the Livradois-Forez Regional Nature Reserve, with plenty of trails that are suitable for walkers or cyclists. A popular destination for hikers is the volcanic organs of Montpeloux, around an hour’s walk from the site – the collection of basalt prisms, some up to 60 metres tall, surrounds a lake that often glows green in the sunshine. On the way you’ll also cross a couple of rivers and see two waterfalls (not a bad haul for an hour’s walk).

Another way to explore the countryside is on horseback, and you can join half- or whole-day outings from a riding centre in La Combe, 25 minutes away. Alternatively, pony riding is one of the activities on offer at Prabouré Mountain Activity Park, 15 minutes from the site. Other fun things you can do here include ziplining, go-karting, downhill scooter riding and a via ferrata climbing route; kids can take part in treasure hunts, climb on the treetop net adventure course or play on the bouncy castle.

For a gentler ride through the area, take a trip on the Agrivap tourist train, where you can gaze up into the mountains through the glass roof on your journey from Ambert, 25 minutes away. Most trips take you to La Chaise-Dieu, where you can wander around the village and visit the abbey before you return home.

Take a few steps back in time at the Moulin Richard de Bas, a working paper mill in a 15th-century building 20 minutes’ drive away. You can hear about the development of paper over the last 2000 years and see the traditional process in action. Nearby, the Museum of the 1900 School recreates the classroom of the early 20th century in a village school that was closed down in the 1980s.