What to do around Vichy?

Welcome to Bourbonnais country!

1 – Lights on the Bourbonnais

Here's an event that happens every year and that will please the whole family, you can be sure.

The emblematic monuments of the region are illuminated, beautiful light shows are offered free of charge in the cities of Cusset, Vichy, and Châtel-Montagne for the closest, and Moulins, Montluçon, Commentry, Néris-les-Bains, Bourbon-l'Archambault for the more distant ones (about 1 hour drive from Vichy). The themes vary from year to year.

2 – The fortress of Billy

This 12th-century castle was part of the Bourbon heritage, now in ruins, this fortress was once among the 17 most important castellanies of Bourbonnais with its 3 protective enclosures.

The walkway offers a panorama over the Allier valley and allows you to see the remains of these enclosures in the streets of this medieval village. A guided tour allows you to learn all about the history of this castle and its role in the region.

The parish church presents some remains, an 11th-century Romanesque crypt, the Cave Saint-Georges was formerly the place where wine was stored. Billy holds the "Petite Cité de Caractère®" label.

3 – Lapalisse

Everyone knows the expression, "it's a Lapalissade", when a person says something obvious, the famous truths of La Palice. Yet, Marshal de La Palice never made any...

Indeed, this false and unenviable reputation is due to a song composed by his soldiers when he died at the battle of Pavia: "Alas! La Palice is dead, he died before Pavia, Alas, if he were not dead, he would still be envied!"

Over time, an error crept into the pamphlet copied many times with more or less attention, until the F of "ferait" (would do) was transformed into S. This completely changed the meaning of the sentence: "Alas, if he were not dead, he would still be alive!". This is how the famous Lapalissade was born, because of a copying error!

4 – The Château de La Palice

This fairy-tale castle is in flamboyant Gothic, Renaissance, and neo-Gothic style.

When visiting this castle, you can admire:

• A Renaissance coffered ceiling with diamond shapes, coffered ceilings unique in Europe.
• 16th-century tapestries.
• A main Italian Renaissance lodge made of polychrome bricks.
• The chapel where the Chabannes family has rested since the 15th century.
• A unique collection dedicated to flags of nations.
• A treasure hunt is organized for children.

During the guided tour, you will have the pleasure of listening, in addition to historical facts, to family memories and juicy anecdotes that testify to the history of the 30 generations that have succeeded each other at the castle.

5 – The Bourbonnais Mountains

Lovers of natural sites, hiking trails, fishing, picturesque villages and fantastic landscapes, the Bourbonnais mountains are made for you!

Let your imagination run wild as you walk among these beech trees with disturbing or sublime shapes depending on your imagination! This witches' path, near Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs, has a large number of beech trees with very particular shapes that stand all along the path.

Near Ferrières-sur-Sichon, the walls of this cave are covered with stalactites that have given birth to multiple legends. 30 meters long, this cave, which would have been inhabited by fairies, can be visited all year round except from December to January during the hibernation of bats. A river flows nearby, you'd better be well shod!

The largest measures 4 meters high, between water and rocks, listen, breathe, let yourself be impregnated by this nature which is a true opera of natural elements.

A forest of deciduous and coniferous trees, near Laprugne, houses an ancient Celtic place of worship composed of Day Stones and Druidic Stones.

This place offers an exceptional panorama over the Bourbonnais Mountains and its villages, as well as over the Forez mountains. Many sports activities are also available both winter and summer.