Twenty-five kilometres north of La Chaise-Dieu, the little town of AMBERT was, from the fourteenth to eighteenth centuries, the centre of papermaking in France. It especially supplied the printers of Lyon, a connection that brought the region into contact with new ideas, in particular the revolutionary teachings of the Reformed Church. Although those small-scale operations have long since been sidelined, there is still a paper mill in operation at Richard-de-Bas just east of the town, with its Musée Historique du Papier (daily: July & Aug 9am–8pm; Sept–June 9am–noon & 2–6pm; €4.70), featuring exhibits and explanations from papyrus to handmade samples from medieval days. In the town itself, there's a small museum (July & Aug daily 10am–noon & 2–5pm; Sept–June closed Mon; €4) devoted to the manufacture of the soft blue Fourme d'Ambert cheese, the region's speciality.
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