The knives from Laguiole

LAGUIOLE, a small French town, but a big historic place in the Massif Central, is just 700 km from Basel. We visited the area this spring, to see the famous Aubrac cattle, taste the local food including the great (Aubrac) steaks, local sausages, cheese and aligot, and of course to buy some of the fantastic handmade knives. The ORIGINAL Laguiole knives with the iconic bee (fly?), only handcrafted here and in Thiers, are simply stunning.

The over 40 steps required to make just one of these master pieces takes several hours, and each item is made by one man. The local Aubrac beef cattle are robust and long living, easily over 10 years, offers fantastic meat, and milk for the local cheese production. We stayed at the Auberge du Lac, a very small hotel with restaurant in Mandailles, 35 km from Laguiole.

Here we were spoiled by Philippe and his team. Everything homemade; from the croissants at breakfast to the delicious sausages and aligot. Enjoy the view from the terrace over the valley and lake and take a walk in the idyllic little village with its medieval houses. The Aveyron area is absolutely worth a visit.

www.forge-de-laguiole.com/…/131-tableknife-precious-wood-st…

http://aubergedulac-mandailles.fr/hotel_278.htm