Fontanges: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Fontanges lies at the bottom of a glacial valley and on the right bank of the Aspre, which flows past Fontanges as a tributary of the Maronne. The village features houses with typically Auvergne architecture. Fontanges is home to a shady promenade along the Aspre and a public picnic area.

Culture and History

The Église Saint-Vincent was built in 1468 and has been protected as a Monument historique since 21 June 1927. Its bell tower has a square section at the base and an octagonal section above, with eight round-arched openings. The church contains a 17th-century altarpiece of Saint John the Baptist with statues of Saint Luke and Saint Bartholomew; this altarpiece has been listed as a protected historic object since 14 October 1975.

The historic heritage also includes the keep of the Château de Palmont. Guy de Fontanges had it built in 1480 on the ruins of an older castle; its façades and roofs were protected as a Monument historique by decree of 22 December 1970. The monolithic Chapelle Saint-Michel was carved into a massive rock in 1896 and inaugurated on 29 September 1901. It features a Romanesque archivolt bearing the coat of arms of Fontanges.

Exploring the Valley

The PR En Val d’Aspre hiking trail crosses the Aspre, passes through woodland and pastureland, and then returns to Fontanges. Another hike through the Vallée de l’Aspre begins at the Chapelle Saint-Michel in Fontanges; the route offers views of the neighbouring Vallée de la Bertrande.

The 143.2-kilometre Romain-Bardet-Expérience cycling loop, “Volcan du Cantal”, passes through the Aspre glacial valley to Fontanges. The 90-kilometre driving and motorcycling route “Des vallées aux montagnes” also passes through the village.

Below Fontanges, a section of the Aspre is easily accessible for trout fishing. Further upstream, access becomes more difficult, especially when water levels are high.

Anyone choosing Fontanges as a destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment.

Food and Drink

The Ferme de Clédart in Fontanges offers guided tours of its cheese dairy by prior arrangement. Tastings are also available on site, along with sales of Cantal, Salers, mountain tomme and farm-produced charcuterie.

More Destinations

Vitrac, Mourjou, Chaudes-Aigues, Le Claux, Talizat, Marcolès, Jussac, Vézac

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