Without stories, without passions, there is no territory. Velay has kept the timeless charm of its past like pages of French history. If it was too small to represent a department on its own, it has retained its independent, sometimes rebellious, character.
It was first its volcanism that shaped its landscapes. Then, men made it a field of expression, often guided by faith. The famous cathedral of Puy-en-Velay, the Saint-Michel rock, the Abbey of Chaise-Dieu, Notre-Dame de France or the fortress of Polignac are illustrations of this.
A historic crossroads of great pilgrimages, it is the territory best equipped in terms of great itinerancy with the paths of Saint-Jacques, Saint-Gilles or Stevenson. Its land is expressed in excellence: its famous AOP green lentil, the Fin Gras du Mézenc, the Noire du Velay or even the red pearls.