Massif du Sancy (Puy-de-Dôme) 1,350-1,850m
Super-Besse and Le Mont-Dore stand on either side of the Puy de Sancy, the highest peak in the Auvergne, doubling the options for downhill skiing here (85km of runs, 58 different trails, and 40 ski lifts, including 3 cable cars - statistics that are worthy of a major ski area!). Not forgetting Chastreix-Sancy, to the west, with an additional 16km of runs. Floodlit skiing (on Saturdays and during school holidays) is available on no fewer than 13 trails, plus the resorts are equipped with 400 snow machines, a speed run, a boardercross area and snowpark, as well as wide-open spaces for spectacular snow-kiting or a tranquil snowshoe trek.
In terms of Nordic skiing, the area has a superb network of over 200km of marked tracks in an unspoilt landscape of valleys, plateaux, lakes and forests. Away from the slopes, both resorts have their own style and character: Super-Besse is livelier and more functional, while Le Mont Dore has more of a cultured "spa town" feel about it. Whichever you head for, you'll find a range of facilities and services that are second to none!
Le Lioran (Cantal) 1,160-1,855m
With 42 runs covering 60km accessed via 22 lifts (including 1 cable-car), the slopes of Le Plomb du Cantal promise exhilarating downhill action. The skiing tradition in the mountains of the Cantal dates all the way back to 1910. And although the contemporary architecture of the resort is not the greatest of successes, Le Lioran offers all the services and leisure activities that you might need, including a "balneo-spa" center, ice rink, snowpark, 75km of tranquil cross-country runs, and even the excitement of a dogsled trek and an introduction to ice wall climbing.
The 23 Nordic sites (French only) in the (Massif Central) (French only)
From the "puys" of the Auvergne to the crests of the Forez or the Cévennes, enjoy the delights of Nordic skiing amid stunningly wild and glistening landscapes: explore the plateaux of the Aubrac, the peaks of the Le Pilat range, crater lakes towards La Bourboule, and the slopes of Le Puy-Marie. Among the 20 or so Nordic sites, special mention should be made of the Espace Aubrac and the area around Laguiole, the peaks of the Lozère, the resort of Chalmazel in the Forez, Le Mas de la Barque and the Le Mézenc plateau.
Le Mas de la Barque
This Nordic ski area extends around the slopes of Mont Lozère at an altitude of 1,400m in the heart of the Parc National des Cévennes, where visitors can choose from a range of stylish accommodation options.
Le Mézenc
Between Velay and Haute-Ardèche, Mont Mézenc rises above its surroundings to a height of 1,343m. This landscape of "sucs" (volcanic domes) is home to the source of the Loire river in a pastoral landscape which in winter is transformed into a playground for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
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