The Gergovie plateau from Pérignat-lès-Sarliève

The Gergovie seasonal office is located on the Gergovie plateau, close to the Musée Archéologique de la Bataille de Gergovie.Services on offer: - Personalized advice: hikes, tips, tourist accommodation, restaurants, events, city tours, heritage, sports and leisure activities, visits, exhibitions, shows and other events. - Foreign language spoken: English What to see and do around the seasonal tourist information office? The Gergovie plateau is an archeological site emblematic of the Gallic War and Vercingetorix's victory over Julius Caesar. Its history can be discovered in the on-site Musée archéologique de la Bataille de Gergovie. The Gergovie plateau is also a 70-hectare natural site some ten kilometers south of Clermont-Ferrand. The path around it leads to magnificent views of the Puy de Dôme and the Chaîne des Puys - Limagne fault, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Serre mountain, the Puy de Sancy and the Monts Dore volcanic massif. This vast terrain is ideal for hiking, mountain biking, trail running and kite flying.

The Pérignat-lès-Sarliève town hall is located in a château whose origins date back to medieval times. Nearby is a former 11th century chapel.In the Middle Ages, the château belonged to the lords of Pérignat, but changed hands several times over the centuries, and in 1609 became the property of Guy Durant, tax collector in Clermont. His coat of arms can be seen above the main door to the château. His descendants remained owners of the château until 1940. The château, its out-buildings and the park were acquired by the municipality in 1953. The town hall moved there in 1976. The château’s keep dates back to the Middle Ages. Its extensions date back to the Renaissance and the 17th century. The château features two right-angled corps de logis. In the corner, a stairway tower leads to the various floors. The watchtowers initially placed at the corners of the building are indicative of the size of the château before it was extended. They also indicate the defensive nature of the medieval château, as do the embrasures either side of the door to the courtyard. Nearby, the former chapel dates back to the 11th century. The facing building was constructed on an elongated layout comprising a nave and a choir with a semi-circular apse. In Romanesque style, the side walls and the upper part of the belfry are interspersed with arched bay windows. After the construction of Église Saint-Michel (1869-1870), the former chapel was decommissioned and housed the town hall from 1870 to the early 20th century. It then became a support structure for local associations.

The Gergovie plateau, near Clermont-Ferrand, is an emblematic site in Gallic history, notably for Vercingetorix's famous victory over Julius Caesar in 52 BC.The Gergovie plateau, a historic Arvernian stronghold, is today renowned for the wealth of its archaeological remains. Occupied since Neolithic times, it became a major fortified oppidum during the Iron Age. Since the 19th century, numerous excavations have uncovered key elements of this occupation: artisanal quarters, paved roads, the remains of a vast central square and a monumental gateway. Between 1935 and 1949, major investigations uncovered remarkable structures, including a Gallo-Roman villa. Since 1995, new methods have enabled us to pinpoint the exact location of the Roman camps that surrounded the plateau during the famous battle of Gergovie in 52 B.C. These recent discoveries, supported by modern technologies, shed valuable light on the military organization, urban planning and daily life of the Gauls. The Musée Archéologique de la Bataille de Gergovie (Battle of Gergovie Archaeological Museum) showcases these advances by offering regular guided tours of the plateau. These tours enable visitors to discover the history of the site and the remains that can still be seen. A unique opportunity to plunge into the heart of an exceptional Gallic heritage. An interpretation trail completes this immersion, tracing the site's history through several major periods. Four viewpoints line the plateau, offering vantage points, reconstructions and readings of the landscape - from the battle of Gergovie to the Arverne capital Augustonemetum, via the natural panorama and the commemorative monument built in 1900.

Le Plateau de Gergovie est un belvédère basaltique offrant un vaste panorama sur les volcans d’Auvergne et la plaine de la Limagne, au cœur d’un site naturel remarquable.Situé à une dizaine de kilomètres au sud de Clermont-Ferrand, le Plateau de Gergovie forme une vaste table basaltique dominant la Limagne et les paysages environnants. Perché à 744 m d’altitude, il offre un belvédère naturel remarquable né d’une ancienne coulée de lave issue de la Chaîne des Puys, modelant un relief inversé caractéristique. Lieu emblématique de l’histoire arverne, le plateau fut au Ier siècle avant notre ère un important oppidum regroupant habitat, activités politiques et fonctions défensives. C’est ici que Vercingétorix infligea à Jules César sa seule défaite lors de la Guerre des Gaules en 52 av. J.-C., conférant au site une notoriété durable. Au-delà de son héritage historique, Gergovie se distingue par son patrimoine naturel d’exception. Son versant oriental est classé en zone Natura 2000 pour la richesse de ses milieux secs : pelouses calcaires, orchidées rares, papillons protégés, reptiles et nombreuses espèces d’oiseaux nicheurs ou migrateurs témoignent de la grande biodiversité du site. Ces habitats sensibles bénéficient de mesures de conservation spécifiques Le plateau offre enfin un panorama spectaculaire à 360°, permettant de lire la géographie de l’Auvergne d’un seul regard. On y observe la Chaîne des Puys – inscrite au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO –, le massif du Sancy, les monts du Forez, la plaine de la Limagne et, par temps clair, les Cévennes et les contreforts du Massif central. Cette combinaison unique de paysages, de richesse écologique et d’histoire en fait un site naturel majeur en France.