VOLVIC AND ITS FASCINATING MINERAL (HI)STORY
In 2021 in Volvic, Auvergne, part of the volcanic area of the Chaîne des Puys and Its 80 volcanoes, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site since 2018, the journey begins with the beautiful story of the emblematic volcanic stone, the grey-black Volvic rock, and the world famous mineral water, two elements which makes us proud of our volcanic territory.
In April 2021 the Sahut Museum shows an art exhibition dealing with Count Chabrol de Volvic, one of main character of the Volvic stone history. At the beginning of the XIXth century he was the one who led this volcanic stone in Paris.
Nearby the Volvic Water Information Site will deliver a brand new experience from June 2021 with a new interactive visiting area while the visiting site of the “Grotte de la Pierre” tells the story, surprisingly very human, of both the stone and the water. A real descent into a lava flow!
Finally the Impluvium, well-preserved 38 km² territory and birthplace of the famous mineral water, is the place to be for outdoor experiences from hiking to riding.
We can notice there old stonepits, legacies from the past, and in the “Cheires and grottes regional nature reserve” the discovery continues with underground cavities once digged to extract Volvic stones, today the most important bat roosting site in Auvergne.
A short walk will then lead to the Plateau of Viallard where the Chaîne des Puys volcanoes make a unique panorama. By the way It was there that the naturalist Jean-Etienne Guettard understood in 1751 that those mountains were real volcanoes!
Grotte de la pierre, ©Prod03