Ambert

French commune
nomcommune=Ambert
Town hall of Ambert
région=Auvergne
département=Puy-de-Dôme
arrondissement=Ambert
canton=Ambert
insee=63003
cp=63600
maire=Jean Aulagnier
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=Pays d'Ambert
longitude=3.7425
latitude=45.5502777778
alt moy=527 m
alt mini=514
alt maxi=1365 m
hectares=6048
km²=60.48
sans=7309
date-sans=1999
dens=120.8
date-dens=1999

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 lies on the Dore River, a tributary of the Allier River.

Miscellaneous

Ambert is famous for its fourme-d'Ambert cheese, its paper mills (the first edition of Diderot's "Encyclopédie" was printed on paper made in Ambert) and its circular town hall (popularized by Jules Romain in his novel "Les copains").

Ambert was the birthpace of Michel Rolle (1652-1719), mathematician.

The [http://perso.orange.fr/..agrivap/version%20anglaise.htm Agrivap ] Chemin de Fer Touristique operated 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 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 kilometers outside the main town.

Demography

Demography 6col|510px|1962|1968|1975|1982|1990|1999
7,160|7,328|7,603|7,722|7,420|7,309 [ [http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/docs_ffc/psdc.htm Insee - Population et logements par commune depuis le recensement de 1962 (1961 pour les Dom) ] ]

Twin towns

*flagicon|GER Annweiler, Germany, since 1988
*flagicon|Japan Saitama, Japan, since 1989
*flagicon|ITA Gorgonzola, Italy, since 2002

References