Ambert (; Auvergnat: Embèrt) is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.
Administration
Ambert is the seat of the canton of Ambert and the arrondissement of Ambert. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The
arrondissement consists of eight cantons (before March 2015).
Geography
Ambert lies on the river Dore, a tributary of the Allier.
Population
Sights
Ambert is famous for its fourme d'Ambert
cheese - "Fourme d'Ambert", its paper mills - "Le moulin Richard de Bas" - (the first edition of
Denis Diderot's
Encyclopédie was printed on paper made in Ambert) and its circular town market hall - "La Mairie" - (popularized by
Jules Romains in his novel
Les copains).
The Agrivap Chemin de Fer Touristique operates out of Ambert.
There is an industrial museum with an interesting collection of tractors and small steam engines.
In the town the Museum of Cheese is worth a visit, as is the old paper mill a few kilometres outside the main town.
Personalities
Ambert was the birthplace of the mathematician
Michel Rolle (1652–1719), composer Emmanuel Chabrier (1841–1894), and anthropologist
Henri Pourrat (1887–1959), who collected the oral traditions of the Auvergne. It is also the birthplace of actor and director Pierre-Loup Rajot (1958–).
International relations
Ambert is twinned with:
-
Annweiler, Germany, since 1988
-
Higashichichibu, Saitama, Japan, since 1989
-
Gorgonzola, Italy, since 2002. Both cities, known for their blue cow's-milk cheeses (cheese and Fourme d'Ambert), have almost the same latitude: 45° 32' N for Gorgonzola, 45° 33' N for Ambert.
Touristic places near Ambert
Some semi-famous places to go when visiting Ambert, France are:
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La Mairie (a round town hall, fun when the farmer's market is there)
-
Le Moulin Richard-de-Bas (a paper mill, with a great tour for all ages, workshops, activities and a nice little garden)
Climate
See also
-
Communes of the Puy-de-Dôme department
