Cantal is a south-central French department located in the region of Auvergne. It was created on 4th of March 1790 during the French revolution as one of the 83 original departments of France. The Cantal mountain range is what it is named after. The Cantal mountain range is a group of extinct and eroded volcanic peaks that cover most part of the department. The principal towns of Cantal are Mauric, Saint-Flour and Aurillac. Agriculture and Animal husbandry are the major occupation of the people in Cantal. Craft industry is also very prevalent in here. There are various festivals that take place in Cantal namely, World music festival Murat, International Festival of Street Theatre, Aurillac and the 36 hours, which features various little scenes with dances.
Cantal’s highest natural point is Le Plomb du Cantal, which stands at 1858 meters. It is one of the most sparsely populated departments of France as well as geographically isolated French departments. Its landscape makes it a place where there is good amount of snow every winter, which also makes it a perfect place for winter sports.
There are many places of interest in Cantal region. There are several remarkable buildings. Romanesque religious buildings and churches of Cheylade that was built in the 11th century, Dieno or Messiac. There are also some Gothic style churches for example the cathedral of St. Pierre de Saint-Flour that was built in the fifteenth century. The castle of Val in lanobre, Castle of Pesteils in Polminhac, Castle of Ajony in Tournemire, Castle of Carbonat in Arpajon-sur-Cere, Castle of Clavieres in Ayrens and the Castle of Grapevine in Ally are some of the most famous castles that people like to visit. Apart from these The house of Fauna in Murat, the Museum of Volcanoes in Aurillac, The museum of art and arqueologia of Aurillac, The house of Chestnut in Mourjou, in Montboudif the Museum of Georges Pompidou are also very popular places of visit.
The dishes of the Cantal region are made of basic recipes. The dishes were originally intended to satisfy the physically hard working hill farmers. Their work consisted of manufacture of cheese, looking after cows, etc. Which is the reason why vegetables, ham and cheese form the basis of the dishes in the department of Cantal. The Pounti, The Aligot, The Truffade and the typical cheese Cantal are some of the most commonly eaten dishes of the region of Cantal.
Looking for self catering holiday accommodation in Cantal? Then below is a selection of gites in Cantal and villas in Cantal that can be rented direct from their owners. You can either click on each listing for further details or you can use our search engine on the left if you are looking for something in particular.
