The Green Volcanoes of France win the status of Unesco

CENTURY ALPHA / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The "Green Volcanoes" are found in the Volcanoes National Park of Auvergne.

France is famous for many things but volcanoes do not really belong to it.

It seems to be changing now. Unesco has granted the Chaîne des Puys – a chain of 80 volcanoes sleeping in central France – World Heritage status.

According to Unesco, the landscape is "an outstanding illustration of the continental break – or rifting – which is one of the five major stages of plate tectonics".

The last eruption took place in 4040 BC BC and volcanoes are now covered with vegetation, which earned them the nickname "Green Volcanoes".

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The Côtes d 'Auvergne, which extend over 53 communes of the Loire Valley, are distinguished by their terroir of limestone clay from the Pliocene or Oligocene eras, mixed with volcanic debris "says the Loire Valley.

The wines of the region were popular with the nobility in the fifth century, but the production suffered from phylloxera, an aphid that feeds on the roots of grapes and world wars. In 2011, Cotes d'Auvergne has been awarded the coveted Denomination of Origin Protegee (AOP).

According to Loire Valley Wines, the white, rosé and red wines of the region blend particularly well with local cheeses, including Saint-Nactaire, Cantal, Salers, Bleu d'Auvergne and La Fourme. ; Ambert.

The 40-kilometer volcano range is part of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Park, the largest regional park in Europe.

The highest peak, 1465 meters from the Puy de Dome, is popular with hikers and can also be reached by scenic railway.

Being a French peak, it also has a gourmet restaurant and a bar and cafe.

Auvergne Tourisme describes the trek to the summit as "pleasant and simple, by means of recently built wooden steps".

Volcanoes, formed more than 35 million years ago as a result of the creation of the Alps, are the first natural site in France to have received World Heritage status.

"The geological features of the property demonstrate how the continental crust cracks and then collapses, allowing the deep magma to rise and cause a rise to the surface," says Unesco. .

– Practical Information