📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Saint-Nectaire is an authentic village, birthplace of the Saint-Nectaire cheese. Its spa heritage from the XIXth century left surprising and rich natural marks (salt marsh, petrifying springs). Located within the volcanic massif of the Sancy, Saint-Nectaire represents the beginning of the Regional Park of Auvergne Volcanoes. In this city full of history, you will lend a hand to restore an old bread oven and maintain hiking trails.
💼 What the programme involves
This old bread oven is located in Boissières, one of the 12 hamlets attached to Saint-Nectaire. Bread ovens are characteristic feature of rural heritage. They are little stone structures once used to bake bread in villages.
The roof made of flat stones (lauze) a typical stone of the area collapsed, you will have to rebuild it. You will learn the ancient roof building techniques. Your work will give back its beauty to this heritage legacy and hikers crossing the village will be able to appreciate their stage at Boissières.
You will also help to maintain hiking trails on Boissières. Those trails are frequently used. Your dynamism will be needed to allow hiking lovers to walk safely.
You will be supervised by municipal officers who will be happy to share their knowledge with you. You will walk to the site (around 10 minutes) and work 4 to 5 hours a day.
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will be accommodated in a holiday cottage with all convenience at Boissières: kitchen, shower, toilets and dormitories. You will walk to the workplace (10 minutes). A hiking trail links Boissières to the main village, Saint-Nectaire (4km).
📍 About the location
Saint-Nectaire has 740 inhabitants and is located 37km south of Clermont-Ferrand. On average at 750 meters of altitude, Saint-Nectaire is characterized by its volcanic passed which left numerous traces in the landscape: lava flows, basaltic columns, volcanoes (named puys) and a large number of mineral thermal springs. To visit: the Cornadore cave and Petrifying Fountains in which hot springs sculpt the rocks. You could also discover the local handicraft linked to those springs: limestone carvings.
Walking through the village, you will discover a typical Auvergnat village. You could visit de Saint-Nectaire church, one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches of the Auvergne region (the Romanesque art is the architectural artistic movement most widespread in Auvergne). You like hiking? Many hiking trails start from the village. While walking, you could discover megalith sites. The Puy de Sancy, a volcanoe located 30k away from Saint-Nectaire, is Auvergne’s highest peak with its 1886m of altitude. It will offer you a 360° panorama and beautiful landscapes.
During the 4th edition of the Vallée-Verte festival (Green-Valley) scheduled from August 15th to August 22nd, many cultural activities will be provided: music, dance, storytelling, theater. Local and international artists attracted more than 7000 people in 2019. More information on the festival’s website : https://www.saintnectairevalleevertefestival.com/.
ℹ️ Additional information
Chantier ouvert aux participants français à partir de 17 ans
