FLAGHIP TOURISM PROJECTS

The Col du Pas de Peyrol, at the very foot of Puy Mary is the place where the valleys converge. They fan out like the wings of a stars to meet the main towns of the Aurillac, Salers, Murat and Riom-ès-Montagnes cantons.

With nearly 600,000 visitors on the protected site from 15 June to 15 September (including 475,000 on the Pas de Peyrol alone) and a frequent peak in summer of 400 vehicles parked at the Pas de Peyrol (despite there being only 250 parks!), managing the surplus on the roads has become a priority on the Grand Site, and a serious request from the Ministry of the Environment.

                      Car alpin en 1914 - SMPM

In order to protect the site in a lasting way, but also to organise a warm welcome and to offer a quality service to visitors so that they may make the most of the countryside (instead of being caught in traffic jams on the winding roads of Pas de Peyrol!), a “Discovery – Transport” system has been under study and should be tested in the summer of 2005.

It will serve Pas de Peyrol, link the valleys radiating out from each threshold village (Dienne, Mandailles, Le Falgoux and Le Claux) and will offer related promotional products: guided walks, theme path starting points, local festival, discovery presentations of the Volcano, flora and fauna, Information Centres, “buron” visits, cheese making, etc.

The aim is to offer an efficient and attractive transport system to the clientele, thereby reducing the number of vehicles on the sites.

This system offers many advantages (a simple answer to transport needs, accessible, rapid and flexible, a quality service and attractive vehicle adapted to all types of clientele) and a three-fold gain for visitors:
• A time-saver: they will be able to appreciate the countryside much more freely,
• Less stress: parking problems and fatigue from driving on the winding roads will be a thing of the past
• Cheaper: this is cheap transport for maximum discovery pleasure.