From Vichy to Montluçon in 48 hours

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes/2022

Today, Vichy boasts an image of a healthy, green city, with 550 hectares of water and greenery.

Good restaurants, quality craftsmen and women, here you can alternate between cures and gourmet tours. Vichy offers a wide range of sports, including water sports on Lac d'Allier, where you can dream away in front of the unspoiled charm of these 19th-century villas. It was the imperial couple Napoleon III and Eugénie who definitively launched the resort and gave thermalism its letters of nobility. Every year, 15,000 people take the waters at Vichy. Leaving Vichy via Bellerive-sur-Allier, head for Aigueperse, crossing the forest into the neighbouring Puy-de-Dôme department. You reach Aigueperse, in Limagne, famous for its Vernet praline. We then turn right towards Combronde on the D985, which we cross to follow the road to Manzat, climbing through a forest of fir trees that gives off a lovely scent of chlorophyll and resinous trees. The first really picturesque village we stop at is Charbonnières-les-Vieilles, with its beautiful old houses, thus entering right into the Combrailles region. Here you'll discover the Gour de Tazenat, a lake of volcanic origin, impressive for its circular geometry, its perfect crater with a diameter of 700 m, its peace and clarity. Large parking lots on the outskirts of the village allow you to leave your car and go and see this marvel on foot. A footpath takes you all the way around. Charbonnières is also the home village of Arletty, the Garance in the film Les Enfants du Paradis, whose parents were from Auvergne. Take the D19 to Manzat, then the D227 to the village. Pass the cheese dairy, cross Manzat and turn left towards Les Ancizes. On the way along the D19, we'll stop off at another great attraction, the Queuille meander, a natural fantasy that almost forms a flowing knot with the Sioule river. The best view is from the Belvedere, aptly named Le Paradis. You then retrace your steps to Les Ancizes, passing the Croix de Pierre. Continue on to Lac des Fades Besserve. The reservoir formed by the Sioule on this vast body of water is another reason for a walk, but you can also enjoy the beauty of this steep-sided valley by canoe. Cross the Sioule at the Bouchet bridge and turn right onto the D110 towards Saint-Priest-des-Champs. Back through the countryside to the quiet village of Saint-Priest-des-Champs, the D62 takes you back down to the river's edge, under the impressive Fades viaduct. This impressive railway structure, seen from the banks of the Sioule, was built in the early 20th century and inaugurated in 1909. At a height of 90 m, it was the highest bridge in the world. For safety reasons, this part of the Clermont-Montluçon line has not been operated since 2007, but it remains an admirable structure that is a pleasure to admire. We pass under the viaduct, crossing an arm of the river to find, on the left, the D513 towards Sauret. Follow the Sioule to Chambonnet, where you leave the valley and climb to Sauret-Besserve. Then take the D523 to Saint-Gervais d'Auvergne. Have a drink and a bite to eat at the H Tag Bar, if it's open. We take the road to Saint-Eloy-les-Mines, which we reach via the D2144, and shop at the covered market, always lively and well-stocked with regional produce. Back on the road to Montluçon. Montluçon is a very old town, which in the 21st century has become the department's largest city in terms of population (Vichy is second only to the agglomeration). It has preserved a pretty medieval quarter, with lively alleyways such as rue Saint-Pierre. The Château des Ducs de Bourbon survived the horrors of the Revolution, with part of it still well preserved, and has been a listed Historic Monument since 1926. For the pleasure of senses other than taste, visit MuPop, the French museum of popular music, inaugurated in 2013, which boasts the largest collection of instruments in France. Also worth a visit are the listed churches of Notre-Dame de Montluçon, Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul.