The Massif Central (French pronunciation: ​[masif sɑ̃tʁal]; Occitan: Massís Central, pronounced [maˈsis‿senˈtral]; literally “Central Massif”) is a highland region in the middle of Southern France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.

Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,000 years, these central mountains are separated from the Alps by a deep north-south cleft created by the Rhône River and known in French as the sillon rhodanien (literally “Rhône furrow”). The region was a barrier to transport within France until the opening of the A75 motorway, which not only made north-south travel easier but also opened up the massif itself.