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is the capital of the Cantal department and an excellent base for exploring the Cantal region and its mountains. The mountains used to encompass one of the oldest volcanoes on record, the enormous Cantal volcano. What remains today of this extinct volcano is a large number of high crests and peaks such as Plomb du Cantal or Puy Mary and deep plunging valleys. This is the perfect playground for cycling, hiking, rafting, paragliding, canoeing and numerous other outdoor pursuits. The market town of Aurillac makes for a pleasant stay. It has a handful of small museums, a pedestriansed 'vielle ville' and a lively market twice weekly. Here you'll be able to sample Cantal Cheese which, not unlike Cheddar, is a hard flavoursome cheese. Cantal is also one of the main ingredients in 'aligot' a dish of mashed potato and crushed garlic.