Discover the Allier (03)

The Allier is the visitor's dream destination having an amazing variety of things to do, see and experience, not to mention the ever-changing scenery. The department is composed of almost all of the former Duchy of Bourbonnais estates and as such has hundreds of castles and manors, many of them, with intriguing and interesting histories, available to visit. The Bourbonnais bocage, covering most of the western and central parts of the department, is especially remarkable for its rich forests and woodlands, including the famous Forest of Tronçais, followed by the Bourbonnais Sologne in the east north-east, the Bourbonnais Mountain (near Vichy) which is the highest point of Bourbonnais together with Montoncel (peaking at 1,287 metres), and finally in the south, the Bourbonnais Limagne, which extends from Varennes to Gannat, and is the breadbasket of the department. The rivers Sioule, Bouble, and Cher have carved the most picturesque gorges in the Allier.

The major towns are Moulins, Montluçon and Vichy, all three on river settings.
Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule is 'wine of origin' area of the Allier and there are a number of vineyards to visit which we will tell you about as we disciver them..
Other interesting towns and pretty villages to visit are:
Charroux, Herisson, Gannat, Sauvigny, Beaune d'Allier, Chantelle, Ebreuil, Verneuil-en-Bourbonnais and a host of small villages all with 12th to 15th centruy churches.

The Allier also includes three important thermal spa towns: Neris-les-Bains, Bourbon l'Archambault and the Queen of Thermal Spa towns, Vichy, all of which are a delight to experience and definitely not to be missed.  For more information visit our Bien Etre page and click on the links to these towns.

Popular Festivals are:
Ossez Classique, Jazz au fil du Cher, Jazz dans le Bocage
Fete Napoleon 111, Tintmare in Vichy, medieval fair in Souvigny
Son et Lumiere in Bourbon-l'Archambault, Chateau Palice and Chateau de Logere, and Chateau Lapalisse
The Medieval Fair in Souvigny, Tintamare Vichy

Bon voyage!