48 hours in Clermont-Ferrand

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes/2023

The volcanoes are waking up, revealing a city in the throes of change. Clermont-Ferrand has just submitted its bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2028. And what if this bustling city were already a destination for a getaway?

"Clermont-Ferrand is a city in the South, but desperately in the North. That's what makes it so rich," points out journalist Éric Roux over a dish of the day at Les Grandes Tables de la Comédie. He cuts his meat with his own knife. "I've got lots of them. I change them like I change my shirt! Not surprising in the land of the blade. Thiers, famous for its cutlery, is only 40 kilometers away and, just a few steps from the restaurant, artisan Sabatier-K offers a fine collection. Éric Roux juggles his various hats. He works for the Sauve qui peut le court métrage collective, organizer of the International Short Film Festival, which attracts 170,000 spectators every year. He also runs, with obvious relish, L'Étonnant Festin, an association linking food and culture. Papotes and popotes come together in a great "foutoiresque" cauldron, where the subject of food goes far beyond the plate, catalyzing social issues. We talk recipes and production, but also birdhouses and seed mapping on an archaeological site. Festival, events and magazine... who could ask for more? "Clermont-Ferrand has an image of being a land of retreat, but it's a land of movement. There's perpetual movement." For a long time, people left Clermont-Ferrand while others, often foreigners, lent their arms to the industry. The Portuguese community here is one of the largest in France. You hardly notice it, except on Saturday mornings around Les Halles. A few grandfathers and grandmothers sell their garden vegetables "by the basket" among the professionals. It's hard to fall in love with Clermont-Ferrand at first sight. Love comes slowly, because the city, with its two hearts, Clermont and Monferrand - united in the 17th century - knows how to do it. The pulses beat faster in the former. The second, asleep behind its shuttered stores, is home to the Musée d'art Roger-Quilliot (MARQ) and a charming medieval center. Between the bell towers of the two districts, Michelin. The tire manufacturer, with an estimated 120,000 employees worldwide, has shaped the town and its mentality. The Michelin housing estates, workers' houses from the early 20th century, bear its values right down to the street names (Faith, Courage, Valor, Youth...). L'Aventure Michelin, a dedicated museum, traces the company's fascinating history from its first slogan in 1892, "Tires drink obstacles", to the present day. Yesterday's blue-collar workers are slowly giving way to white-collar workers. The city of 147,865 inhabitants (2019 figure), a quarter of whom are students, is reinventing itself. Michelin wastelands are becoming coworking spaces. In 2020, the 1960s bus station was converted into a national stage by Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, winner of the 2011 Pritzker Prize (the equivalent of the César awards for architecture). La Comédie reflects the discretion of Clermont-Ferrand's residents, the architect having taken a back seat behind the façade. A great success, as is the varied program, with markets and even traditional "brayauds" dances! The pop spirit is there. As for the former Leclerc store, since 2019 it has been home to Mille Formes, an art initiation space for 0-6 year olds run in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou. Whether you're a local or just passing through, it's open to everyone. There's also the Frac, at the foot of the cathedral, and the Hôtel Frontfreyde, a photographic center in a beautiful setting. There's also a very dynamic community system, such as La Goguette, a pleasant place to live and learn, with a canteen run by chefs in residence. All this adds color to the black volcanic rocks, terrifying under an angry sky. Of course, green is never far away, with the local Eiffel Tower - the puy de Dôme - and its infinite reliefs. Unsurprisingly, the town takes to the streets on Sundays and empties out entirely. The surrounding countryside is to blame. They force you to breathe in the fresh air. France's rainbow capital was already sucking up clouds at the top of the volcano. Now it's moving mountains to win the title of European Capital of Culture 2028. "Clermont-Ferrand Massif Central 2028" aims to bring together a "metropolitan village" on its territory, which is as vast as Portugal. And the odds are in its favor: all it needs to do is add up its assets on the pascaline, considered to be the first calculating machine. Thanks to its inventor, local boy Blaise Pascal! In 2023, the town will repay him by celebrating its 400th anniversary.