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Introducing Clermont-Ferrand & Around
Bibendum, the roly-poly Michelin car man, started life in Clermont-Ferrand, centre of France’s rubber industry and power base of the Michelin tyre empire. As did the first Michelin guidebook, published in 1898 to promote motor-car tourism – and thus the use of its pneumatic tyres.
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The Massif Central’s only real city, Clermont-Ferrand, is built, fittingly, above a long-extinct volcano. A lively place where almost one in five inhabitants is a student, it’s a good base for exploring the north of the region.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
