Tour de France Stage 7 - Brioude to Aurillac

Today's Tour de France continues through the challenges of the Massif Central, which is a lovely area to visit as a tourist for its expansive and impressive landscapes. The tour leaves quaint Brioude, experiencing its debut as a stage town, and it concludes in Aurillac.

Here is the Tour de France description of lovely Brioude:

Located at the heart of Auvergne near the Allier river, in verdant and mountainous surroundings, Brioude will draw you into its colorful and warmful southern ambiance. True to its past as a stopover town between northern and southern France, Brioude retains a welcoming spirit and a dynamic economy, tourism benefiting from the nearby A75 highway. The town boasts a rich architectural and historical heritage, most notably the Saint-Julien basilica.

This Romanesque masterpiece of the 12th century, has been gifted with contemporary stained-glass windows by the world-famous Kim En Joong. Brioude is just the place for a leisurely stroll, its charming streets holding many a surprise. And the splendid nature all around lends itself to a wide array of outdoor activities : hiking, dirt biking, fishing, cycling, white-water sports. Each and everyone will find the facilities best suited for his goals and desires.

Here is the Tour de France blurb about Aurillac:

Aurillac, with a population of 30,000, is the principal administrative town in the department of Cantal. Though proud of its Auvergne roots, Aurillac sees itself very much as a southern city, boasting as many days of sunshine a year as Toulouse. In recent years, Aurillac has risen to the challenges of tomorrow, renovating the Place du Square, inaugurating an aquatic center and a concert hall, launching an ambitious program in favor of sustainable development.

Blessed with exceptional natural surroundings, Aurillac is most pleasant to live in. Every summer, the «Européennes du goût» festival takes place here, a tribute to gastronomy. An international festival of street theater has also been held here for over twenty years. Deeply committed to sports like rugby, football, handball and cycling, Aurillac is proud to welcome the 2008 Tour de France.

Find out more about the Tour de France: Tour de France 2008

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_{Photos of Brioude (top) and Aurillac, copyright Tour de France.}