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  -Forez
-13°C min. -6°C max. wind : 12.87 km/h 
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A stream of skillsSteep-sided valleys, infertile soil, steep mountains: formerly in the Livradois-Forez residents could not use all the land for farming. In order to make a living they also had to become artisans and develop various handcrafts which was made possible thanks to the driving force of water. In the Middle Ages, they built mills along the watercourses, with all kinds of products being made including two main ones: paper and cutlery. With "white hands" experience the light joy of paper! In Ambert, residents built stone mills, equipped with "reaches" for diverting the water and paddle wheels for activating the mallets. Charging materials that can be ground! Mixed with water, plants and fabric made for excellent paper paste. In the times of Louis XIV, 150 paper mills were operating in the valleys to the east of Ambert, in the Forez foothills. Modern and traditional paper factories, cardboard factories and mills are still operating today, a source of economic and tourist activity and a source of employment with high added value. Richard de Bas Mill bears witness to this. The "black hands" supplied France with knives. The Durolle valley, upstream from Thiers, was home in 1900 to five hundred grinders distributed in around thirty mills (spinning wheels in this particular case). Today, each cutler performs the 110 operations required to assemble the knives and Thiers has come to terms with its status as cutlery capital of France, with 70% of the national production of cutting tools. The Route of skills aims to shed light on all the heritage associated with the activities of the paper and cutlery factories: visits to symbolic sites such as Richard de Bas Mill or the Cutlery Museum, walks to discover the heritage of the mills, guided tours and walks organised by specialists in the regional heritage and, obviously, the best restaurants and accommodation in the region, committed to developing tourism that respects the environment. |
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IPAMAC - Association Inter-Parcs Massif Central
