Ambert
Ambert 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.Geography
Ambert is located in the southeast of the Puy-de-Dôme department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.The commune lies on the river Dore, a tributary of the Allier.
Sights
Ambert is famous for its fourme d'Ambert cheese - "Fourme d'Ambert", its paper mills - "Le moulin Richard de Bas" - and its circular town market hall - "La Mairie" - .The Agrivap Chemin de Fer Touristique operates out of Ambert. There is a steam engine that makes a local run, but to see the line in full a ride on the Panoramique Autorail is not to be missed.
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, composer Emmanuel Chabrier, and anthropologist Henri Pourrat, who collected the oral traditions of the Auvergne. It is also the birthplace of actor and director Pierre-Loup Rajot.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, have almost the same latitude: 45° 32' N for Gorgonzola, 45° 33' N for Ambert.