Croix de Salers

Salers is a small hill town in the Cantal, in the Auvergne volcanic uplands, and it is classified as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France. It is built almost entirely of dark grey volcanic stone, a local basalt that gives the buildings a severe, powerful character, and most of its roofs are covered with grey slate-like stone slabs called lauzes, with round corner turrets topped with conical caps, a style that gives it the appearance of a fortified town of the sixteenth century.

The centre of the village is the Place Tyssandier d'Escous, a cobbled square named after Ernest Tyssandier d'Escous, who helped to improve the Salers breed of cattle in the nineteenth century. The square is enclosed by handsome houses that were built in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when the town was prosperous and was the seat of a royal bailiff, and many have mullioned windows, spiral staircases in turrets and carved doorways. The Maison des Templiers, a house of the sixteenth century, holds a small museum, and the guided visits organised by the town focus on the history of the old streets and buildings, available in French and English in summer, usually with a modest charge. The tourist office on the square can give the details of current times.

The church of Saint-Mathieu, built in the fifteenth century, is the main religious building, and it holds a remarkable sculpted Entombment scene from the late fifteenth century and tapestries from Aubusson, as well as a Romanesque-style portal. The Esplanade de Barrouze, a terrace at the edge of the village, gives a wide view over the valley and the surrounding mountains, with the Puy Violent visible on the skyline, and it is a good place to catch the sunset. The Château de Salers, also called the Château de Lasteyrie, is a historic manor open to visitors in certain seasons.

Salers also gave its name to the breed of red cattle with lyre-shaped horns that graze on the high pastures, and to a farmhouse cheese made from their milk, which has a strong, nutty flavour and a thick crust. The cheese can be bought in shops in the village, along with local liqueurs made from gentian, a mountain flower.

The village is free to wander and suits walkers, history lovers and food lovers. The surrounding Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne offers hiking trails, and the Musée des Volcans is another source of information on the area. Streets are steep, so wear good shoes.