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   MASSIF CENTRAL > CANTAL > Zone 1
 
 

The Cantal also known as the land where water reigns .
In this region where nature is king, the aspects of water and the vital elements are as original as numerous. Springs, torrents, rivers, waterfalls, lakes and ponds, peat bogs and canals all in the same area offers refreshing pleasures.


A gift from the sky. - With more than 2500 miles (4000 km) of rivers and streams and more than 6250 acres (2500 ha) of lakes and reservoirs, water plays an important role in The Cantal. Water everywhere, either trapped in the basins of the plateau of Artense or held back by the concrete walls at the dams of Bort-les-Orgues or Enchanet, or even cascading over obstacles left by volcanic activities and the glaciers.
Apart from the main waterways of the department which are the Dordogne in the North and the Truyère in the South, all the rivers spring from the hillside of the biggest volcano of Europe: the volcano of Cantal.
The thousand and one facets of water in the Cantal, running or stagnant, make up for an incredible diversity in ecosystems that adds to the department's reputation where nature is king. You will discover nature untouched, either overgrown vegetation in the peat bogs of the mountainous massif or like the hollows of the basaltic plateau of Saint-Flour, used as a stopover by common cranes.

Forces of nature tamed by man - In the department of the Cantal, water and its energy have been used by man for centuries. Although water has been used to run the mills for centuries, it is only since the beginning of the 20th century that man knows how to produce energy from it. The dams built across the deep gorges of Truyère and Dordogne, Bort-les-Orgues, Grandval, Enchanet or Chalvignac hold back millions of cubic metres of water and are unique construction works. These spaces are adapted for tourism and leisure thanks to their ability to regulate the flow of water. The nautical bases are perfect places to practise many different water sports.
A paradise for fishermen - For many fishermen, locals or not, the department of The Cantal is like the cherry on the cake with its authentic streams, its dammed lakes full of fish, its beautiful landscapes and its warm welcome. Protected by the agents of the Superior Council for Fishing, these aquatic environments have a large piscicultural fauna (variety in fish). People who like to fish in natural conditions will be able to fulfil their wildest dreams on the banks of many streams, like the Cère, the Alagnon or the Tarentaine. They will find the local trout, called the trout fario, often accompanied by chubs, minnows and loaches. The dammed lakes of the Cantal, the largest fishing reservoirs in Auvergne, are crowded with flesh-eating fish like Zanders or Pikes but also with lake trout's which can weigh more than 20lb (10 kg). The 17 local fishermen associations (AAPPMA) will be happy to show you specific routes and to share the riches of a still untouched nature.
Cantal truffade (the local potato gratin)
2lb of potatoes, 7 oz of fresh Tomme (local cheese in the stage before the cheese gets ripened), 3 or 4 slices of fat, groundnut oil, salt and pepper. Put a drop of oil in a heated cast-iron stewing pan, add fat and potatoes that have been washed, peeled and cut into thin slices. Add salt and pepper and braise gently for 20 / 30 min. Remove the cooked potatoes from heat and add the cheese cut into slices. The warmth of the potatoes will melt the cheese. Mix until the cheese has completely melted and serve immediately.