This is a land of Romanesque architecture, castles and eagle's nests, and one of the finest chains of volcanic uplands in the world. The region of Auvergne covers four départements (Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme) and its landscapes vary widely. Yet one of its over-ridding features is the presence of water, an inestimable source of wealth, in its rivers and lakes, the thermal springs and, of course, the Loire. Auvergne ? A beautiful friendly province in which life is sweet and places of interest abound. A place for those who are prepared to take their time.