Mont-Dore

Le Mont-Dore
Le Mont-Dore
	Mont-Dore with the Puy de Sancy in the background
	Location of Le Mont-Dore
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Puy-de-Dôme
Arrondissement	Clermont-Ferrand
Canton	Rochefort-Montagne
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Jean-François Dubourg
Area 1	35.87 km2 (13.85 sq mi)
Population (2006)	1,504
• Density	42/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	63236 /63240
Elevation	897–1,883 m (2,943–6,178 ft) ; (avg. 1,050 m or 3,440 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Le Mont-Dore (Mont Dòr in Occitan), formerly called Mont-Dore-les-Bains, is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.

Geography

Le Mont-Dore is located in the Massif Central, on the right bank of the Dordogne River not far from its source, and 50 km (31 mi) by road S.W. of Clermont-Ferrand. The Monts Dore close the valley towards the south.

Thermal springs

The thermal springs of Le Mont-Dore, now numbering twelve, were known to the Romans. Bicarbonate of soda, radon, iron and arsenic are the principal ingredients of the waters, which are used both for drinking and bathing. Hot baths are characteristic of the treatment; they are believed to be efficacious for tuberculosis, bronchitis, asthma, and nervous and rheumatic paralysis, the main ingredient being radon. Due to the elevation and exposure of the valley, the climate of Le Mont-Dore is relatively severe, and the season only lasts from 15 June to 15 September. The bath-house was rebuilt in 1891-1894.

Ski resort

Le Mont-Dore is a ski resort with runs on the slopes of the Puy de Sancy and the Puy Ferrand. 30 runs account for 42 km of downhill skiing, served by a number of lifts of different types. There are also 25 km of cross-country trails.

Sights

In the town park, along the Dordogne, relics of the old Roman baths have been collected. The surrounding country, with its fir woods, pastures, waterfalls and mountains, is very attractive. To the south is the Puy de Sancy (1886 m or 6189 ft), the loftiest peak of central France.

Radon Therapy

There is a small gold mine in which you can bath or drink water that has been exposed to radon or directly breath it from a tube.

References

INSEE commune file

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)