Vichy

Understand

thumb|Centre thermal des Dômes, a historical thermal bath Vichy is a town in the department of Allier, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in France.

The town is near the centre of France, at the foothills of the Massif Central.

See

Museums are mostly concentrated in the city centre. The neighbourhoods on the outskirts are irrelevant.

Do

The priority for tourists to the city of Vichy is to take advantage of the banks and the promenade along the river for pedestrians and cyclists. Via Allier and loops - 27 km long, linking Saint-Yorre to Billy via Hauterive, Bellerive-sur-Allier and Saint-Germain-des-Fossés, along the Allier river as closely as possible. The route is signposted from start to finish. In addition to this greenway, three loops have been created, two of which pass through Vichy: the loop of the Lake (6.3 km), circling the river via the banks developed between 2007 (along the boulevard du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny), 2014 (banks of Allier on the right bank) and 2019 (banks of Allier on the left bank, in Bellerive-sur-Allier), the Isles loop (12.7 km), between the Bellerive bridge and Hauterive via Abrest, the SNCF footbridge, Bellerive-sur-Allier and its banks renovated in 2019.

Eat

Restaurants are mainly concentrated from the city centre to the SNCF station. Some traditional restaurants also offer take-out.

Sleep

The hotel offer in the city remains substantial; there is a five-star hotel in the spa district.

Stay safe

If you feel insecure, or in case of theft, contact the police or the gendarmerie.

National Police 35, avenue Victoria, +33 4 70 96 11 11 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - If you have lost or have been stolen identity documents. Municipal police 14, place de l'Hotel de Ville, +33 4 70 30 17 28 - In the event of loss of various objects in the municipality (for passports, contact the civil status department at the town hall). National Gendarmerie 16, avenue de Gérardmer, +33 4 70 30 42 50

In addition, the city has a video protection system, particularly in the city centre, around the station and at city entrances (bridges over the Allier and the Ailes district).

Go next

Cusset (3 km by D 2209) - A neighbouring town of about 12,800 inhabitants, with many vestiges of the medieval period in the city centre. The urban boulevard, built by the urban community, marks the passage from the city of Vichy to that of Cusset, mainly via the D 2209. Bellerive-sur-Allier (to the west on the left bank of the Allier) - From Vichy, crossing the Bellerive bridge (D 2209) or the Europe bridge (D 6 E and D 6), you enter in the town of Bellerive-sur-Allier. This small town, populated by 8,500 inhabitants, also offers a good standard of accommodation and restaurants. Abrest (follow the D 906 E (direction Thiers), 3.5 km) - This town of2,900 inhabitants, halfway between Vichy and Saint-Yorre, whose name means "tree", is located on both banks of the Allier. Through the Dollots district, see the Chaussins castle, the only building listed as historical monuments. Saint-Yorre (follow the D 906 E (direction Thiers), 8 km away) - It is in this town of nearly 2,600 inhabitants that Saint-Yorre is known for its mineral water rich in bicarbonates. Lapalisse (more than 20 km north-east on the D 2209 and D 907) - Lapalisse is on the historic route of the national road 7. Castle. Montagne bourbonnaise (after Cusset via the D 25 (Châtel-Montagne), D 62 (Le Mayet-de-Montagne) or D 995 (Ferrières-sur-Sichon)) - As soon as you climb up Cusset, especially via the route de Molles, panoramic view on the agglomeration. Clermont-Ferrand (more than 50 km to the southwest) - The fo…