The area : location, things to do, and how to come by road, or plane, or train
Location : GPS : 03° 24′ 37” West, 45° 06′ 47” North.
500 km from Paris – 190 km from Lyon – 330 km from Marseille and Toulouse
The Haut Val d’Allier is situated 100 km south of the city of Clermont-Ferrand, and runs from the town of Brioude in the north, to south of Langeac.
Arlet is precisely situated 10 km from Lavoute-Chilhac, 14 km from Langeac, 30 km from Brioude, 50 km from Le Puy, 40 from St Flour.
Coming by plane : Airports at Lyon-Saint-Exupery (200 km), Rodez (190 km), Clermont-Ferrand (100 km) and rent-a-car. Most major hire car companies serve Lyon Saint Exupery airport and Rodez Airport but must be booked in advance.
Coming by car : French motorways A 71 to Clermont-Ferrand, then continue on toll-free A 75. Exit at junction 20 (Le PUY-EN-VELAY, VERGONGHEON,BRIOUDE). 800 km driving from Calais -
Coming by railway...into the midi de l’Auvergne
Right : Langeac railway station
Cars are recommanded in Arlet
On Paris Nîmes line (« le Cévenol »), get off at Langeac (about 14 km : book a taxi in advance or rent a car at the “Super-U” Super-Market ).
Link with ViaMichelin for your road itinerary : http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/fra/dyn/controller/Itineraires Link with SNCF railway Company : http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvHomePage ?_TMS=1095359915626&_DLG=SvHomePage&_LANG=FR&_AGENCY=VSC
Birdwatching in the Haut-Allier
The area
Activities walking, mountain biking, cycling, boating, canoeing (nautical base of Chilhac, Gorges de l’Allier), ornithology, trout fishing …
A magnificent area of the Haute-Loire (43), in the heart of the French Massif Central…
A magnificent area (Here : Lavoute-Chilhac in its meander)
The Allier meander around Lavoute
Also known as : le Val d’Allier, le Haut-Allier, les Gorges de l’Allier …
Canoe and Kayak hire in the wild and picturesque Gorges de l’Allier : 
Click towards one of the offers of canoeing and down-river on the Allier in Chilhac (7 km) or in Lavoute-Chilhac (10 km) along superb gorges with basaltic organ rock formations , and likewise in Le Chambon (7km), or Langeac (13km) … (here, photograph taken at Chanteuges)
Mountain bike and walk everywhere around : many hiking trails and paths (marked or not) from the holiday cottage,
Hiking in Haute-Loire : http://www.lacroiseedeschemins.com/
touristic sites in Lavoute-Chilhac
… and its brochure : You will find there a lot of information about any possible activity around Arlet Langeac and Lavoute-Chilhac : useful adresses, visits, walks, nature, activities for children, water sports and other sports, fishing, rafting, canyoning, motorcross, quad, cultural leisures, museums, old churches, castles, local heritage, restaurants, local gastronomy…
to discover the area well :
Founded by Odilon de Cluny, the Lavoute benedictine Abbey
Bird-watching: the white-throated dipper, that you may flush out from our little rivers :
Go birdwatching in thematic walks with the LPO (Bird Protection League) around Lavoute Chilhac.
Photo by Wolfgang Fischer http://wolfphotos.canalblog.com/
Auvergnate gastronomy : for instance La Crèche in La Chomette , or in Lavoute : www.hostellerie-le-prieure.com
paleonthology and archeology (in Chilhac)…
festivals… The famous Sacred music La Chaise-Dieu festival (at the end of August)
This old Auvergne country is scattered by innumerables monastic sites and romanesque churches with mythical names : Lavaudieu, Brioude, Lavoute Chilhac, Pébrac…
In Arlet : the XIIth century church with beautiful belfry :
…With its romanesque polychrome wooden statue of Lord Jesus on the cross; beautiful 16th century triptych … and several beautiful romanesque churches in the neighbourhood : Aubazat with its peasant-handed christ, Peyrusse, Saint-Cirgues, Cronce, Ally …and many others
Click here to have good ideas for visits
Chilhac and its paleontological museum ; Ally : wind mills, old silver and antimony mines, romanesque-arabic style church
Nearby : the abbeys : Lavoute-Chilhac, La Chaise-Dieu, Lavaudieu… La Margeride : Ruynes en Margeride, le Mont Mouchet (Resistance Museum)
Above : Arlet romanesque church , Right : Lavoute-Chilhac romanesque abbey, founded by Odilon de Mercœur, 5th abbot of Cluny
Le Gévaudan…and its famous beast !
Discover the history of the famous animal which killed more than a 100 people between 1764 and 1767. Travel in the heart of the legend through 22 different scenes animated with lights and sounds ‘accompanying notes in English)
In autumn (september and october) people come from far away to listen to the deer bellow : Observatory in the forest of Combeneyre facing the village of Arlet. The best moments for the observation are dawn or sundown, when animals leave the forest protection to look for food. The observatory access is free.
… and all year long : ornithology…
fishing : in the Allier (7 km far) and la Cronce (trout river 300 m from the house)
A bit further, discover the Margeride hills, feudal castels, or Chavaniac Lafayette Castel – general Lafayette’s birthplace ; A bit further again, do not miss the Puy-en-Velay treasures and site with its monuments perched on rocky outcrops as well as architectural heritage of the ancient town, remarkable romanesque-byzantine cathedral… Or the austere la Chaise Dieu basilica , the towns of Saint Flour (with its cathedral) and Murat.
Discovering the Gorges de l’Allier itinerary:
By car, from Lavoute-Chilhac to Monistrol d’Allier : opportunities of visiting local heritage and wonderful panoramic landscapes ovet the Gorges. By train : departure from Langeac or Langogne by the touristic Gorges de l’Allier train with commentary (in French with accompanying notes in English).
In the heart of the Margeride forest, on the borders of Cantal, Lozère and Haute-Loire départements there is le Mont Mouchet, National Monument of the Resistance and its Museum. Our district is located at the gates of Cantal, you can go to Ruynes-en–Margeride where you’ll find the Margeride “eco-museum”. Going further along this road you will find the impressive Garabit Viaduct with its trips on the lake.
The blacksmith’s workbench in Arlet
Birdwatching in the Haut-Allier
Left : The white-throat dipper
Right : the short-toed eagle
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The area, the location and how to get to Arlet by plane, road or train: top of the page
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