Thiers is a 15,000 inhabitant town in central France, at the northern foothills of the Massif Central. Clinging to the edge of a mountain chain, called the “Monts du Forez”, on one side, Thiers is looking down on the Limagne plain on the other side. The town is located in Auvergne, which is well-known for its volcanic craters boasting into the sky. Thiers is located in the Puy-de-Dôme department, approximately 100 kilometres west of Lyon.

High and Low Town

Thiers can be divided into Low Town, which is situated in the plain, and High Town, which has been built on the slopes of the montain. The difference in altitude amounts to more than 200 metres between the bottom of the valley and the houses on the highest spot.

Durolle

The little river, which rises from the Monts du Forez, powered the wheels of grinding mills in the past and  thus favoured the town’s economical development.

Puy the Dôme

The Puy the Dôme is the highest and bestknown volcano in Auvergne. The department Puy-de-Dôme is named after it. In the past it was regarded as a holy mountain.