Unterwegs

Sights

Printemps de Bourges

Combining mainstream headliners with up-and-coming acts, the festival has been offering an annual week of concerts since 1977, featuring a wide variety of musical genres across several venues in Bourges: 150 artists and bands across the festival’s seven venues, as well as numerous artists performing on the four free stages stretching from the banks of the Auron to Place Séraucourt, and just as many in the twenty or so bars in Bourges taking part in the Printemps dans la ville programme. For the 50th edition in 2026, the headliners were Patti Smith, Vanessa Paradis, Gims, Josman, Oxmo Puccino and Philippe Katerine.

The 2027 edition takes place from 20 to 25 April.

Saint-Étienne Cathedral

Founded: construction began in 1195

Style: Gothic

Features: when it was built, it was the largest cathedral south of the Loire, 120-metres long and 41-metres wide, with a tower rising to a height of 65 metres. It is also a rare example of a cathedral without a transept.

A bit of history: the cathedral serves as the setting for the film about the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris, Notre-Dame brûle by Jean-Jacques Annaud, released in 2022. It was chosen for its resemblance to Notre-Dame de Paris.

Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1862 / listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.

Archbishop’s Garden

Created: 18th century.

History: created in 1730 on the site of Philip Augustus’s ramparts. Legend has it that they were designed by a pupil of Le Nôtre. Comprising two distinct sections: a French garden extending from the former Archbishop’s Palace, featuring flowering plants, topiary hedges and lawns, and a heavily wooded area.

Distinguishing feature: the bandstand, dating from 1908, is adorned with four monumental bronze vases representing the four seasons.

Jacques Cœur Palace

Founded: between 1443 and 1451 by Jacques Cœur, merchant, trader and Lord Treasurer to the King of France.

Style: private mansion, a masterpiece of Flamboyant Gothic civil architecture.

History: The building, constructed between 1443 and 1451 by Jacques Cœur, is one of the very earliest examples of a Gothic civil residence, a symbol of the success of the wealthy merchant who became Treasurer to King Charles VII. He wanted it to be ‘beautiful, grand and magnificent’: it comprised 43 rooms and 8 staircases, covering an area of 4,000 m². He built it on the Gallo-Roman wall of Bourges, on the border between the upper and lower towns, with two very distinct street-facing façades: one austere, with a fortified appearance, and the other in the flamboyant style, richly decorated. Its layout followed that of medieval castles, with a courtyard, towers and a keep, but it was also a building of a new kind: the townhouse. Jacques Cœur kept a close eye on the progress of its construction whenever his visits to Bourges allowed, but he entrusted the supervision to his builders from Bourges: Pierre Jobert and Guillot Trépant. Whilst his wife, Macée de Léodepart, took up residence there from 1447 onwards, Jacques Cœur scarcely had the chance to enjoy his grand house. Even before construction was complete, following complaints and rumours, the king had him arrested, put on trial and had his property confiscated. A succession of owners followed, including the famous Colbert, who sold it to the city of Bourges in 1682. Initially used as a town hall, Jacques Cœur’s house subsequently served as the seat of various courts and courthouses in the 19th century (hence its name, the Palais Jacques Cœur). It then underwent extensive alterations before being included on the first list of historic monuments in 1840. In 1923, the State became its owner and undertook its restoration.

Features: Ahead of its time, the palace foreshadowed the Renaissance-style mansions that would later become more fashionable. Its interior layout is based on a clever design that separates the private and public areas. The rooms – private apartments, state rooms, a chapel, kitchen, drying room and attic quarters for the servants – follow one another whilst remaining self-contained, as each room opens onto a staircase, a corridor or both. The comfort of the residence confirms that this architecture was truly modern for its time. This magnificent residence abounds with sculptures, mottos, bas-reliefs, ridge ornaments and gargoyles, all of which serve to underpin the owner’s status. On both sides of the building, the owner’s signature – a heart for his surname and a shell for his first name – is inscribed on the doors, locks and sculpted decorations… Jacques Cœur’s grand motto offers a glimpse into the fabulous destiny of this extraordinary figure: ‘To a valiant heart, nothing is impossible’ (‘A vaillans cuers riens impossible’). The bas-reliefs above each entrance door depict a scene indicating the room’s function. For example, before the staircase leading to the chapel, three tympanums mark the beginning and end of Mass.

Current use: A town hall in the 17th century, then a courthouse and finally a court of justice from 1820 onwards, it is now managed by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.

Listing: Listed as a Historic Monument in 1840.

Hôtel Lallemant

Construction: 15th century.

Style: Renaissance.

History: Hôtel Lallemant retains the name of its builders, Jean Lallemant – three members of a wealthy merchant family of German origin who arrived in Bourges in the 13th century, all bearing the same first name. The earlier buildings were destroyed by the great fire of Bourges in July 1487. Construction of the mansion took place between 1495 and 1518. The complex is a remarkable example of the late Louis XII style and the early French Renaissance.

Characteristics: it is built on the city’s Gallo-Roman ramparts, hence the presence of two courtyards: the upper courtyard and the lower courtyard (the current visitors’ entrance), separated by a few steps. The Renaissance decoration on the exterior is particularly elaborate around the windows and on the turrets of the upper courtyard. The finesse of this ornamentation has led to speculation that a team of Italian artists was involved. The palace is adorned with an impressive array of decorative sculptures, in the form of pilasters, cornices, capitals, lamp bases, columns, pediments, fireplaces, medallions, undersides of steps and mouldings. The decorations depict objects such as cornucopias, shells, foliage, ovals, arrows, tridents and flaming cups, or figures: a phoenix, a jester, an eagle, birds, or more clearly identifiable figures such as Saint Christopher and Paris, son of Priam. On the vaulted landing, one monk with a blank speech bubble, another in prayer, a third with an open book, and another keeping watch.

Trivia: the interpretation of the figure sculptures in an esoteric and alchemical sense has been extensively developed since the works of Fulcanelli, Jacques van Lennep and Michel Bulteau.

Current location: Museum of Decorative Arts.

Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1840.

Hôtel des Échevins

Construction: late 15th century.

History: in the 15th century, the town was administered by four magistrates, who met in the outbuildings of the Priory of La Comtale, which was destroyed during the great fire of Bourges. In 1489, the mayor and the aldermen decided to build a town hall, which was erected in 1490 by the sculptors Jacquet de Persigny and Jacquet Gendre. A building with arcades was constructed between 1619 and 1623 on the site of the pavilion linking the corner turret to the 15th-century residence, designed by the architects Jehan Le Juge and Gargault. Sold as national property during the Revolution, it housed the teacher-training college in 1833 and became the ‘Petit Lycée’, which would later come under the authority of the secondary school named after one of its former pupils, Alain-Fournier.

Features: the Hôtel des Échevins consists of a main building, flanked by a stair tower reminiscent of that at the Palais Jacques-Cœur in Bourges. Like many of the city’s mansions, the building was constructed straddling the Gallo-Roman ramparts. The perpendicular gallery, built in the Renaissance style in 1623, is the work of the architect Jehan Lejuge.

Current use: art museum.

Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1886.

Sights

The hammer mill

Built: 1876

History and features: the principle of the steam-powered drop hammer appears to have been invented simultaneously in Great Britain and France. Credit for the invention is given respectively to James Nasmyth (1808–1890), a Scottish inventor, and François Bourdon (1797–1865), an engineer and director of the mechanical engineering workshops at Établissements Schneider in Le Creusot. In 1876, the Schneider Works built a 100-tonne drop hammer. Installed in the Grande Forge, it was then the most powerful in the world. With its impressive dimensions and working mass (21 metres high and a total weight of 1,300 tonnes), it enabled the production of ever-larger components. When in operation, its clang could be heard for several kilometres around. At the start of the 20th century, hydraulic presses came into use and the days of the drop hammer were numbered. It was dismantled in the 1930s. Today, the drop hammer stands at the southern entrance to the town of Le Creusot, at the 8 May 1945 crossroads. It remains a symbol of the town and of triumphant industry. The Le Creusot drop hammer is recognised as such as ‘historical heritage of mechanical engineering’ by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

The forge’s chimney

Built: 1870

History: a listed monument in Le Creusot, the Forge Chimney was built in 1870. It was one of the first chimneys made of riveted sheet metal, designed to replace brick chimneys. To celebrate the arrival of the year 2000, it was illuminated by lighting designer and set designer Vittorio Sparta and won third prize in the national ‘Cities of Light’ competition.

Château de la Verrerie

Built: 18th century.

History: it all began at the end of the 18th century when the great fashion for crystal took hold in France. Queen Marie-Antoinette’s Royal Crystal and Enamel Manufactory was established in Le Creusot in 1786 and operated until 1832, employing nearly 350 workers in the production of crystal, candlesticks, chandeliers and crystal tableware, which were highly coveted by the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie at the time. The buildings were acquired in 1837 by Schneider Frères et Cie and became the residence of the Schneider family, who refurbished, embellished and renamed the crystal works the ‘Château de la Verrerie’.

Current use: it now houses the Museum of Man and Industry, the splendid Petit Théâtre that Eugène II Schneider had built in one of the conical halls, and the Pavillon de l’Industrie, situated in the château’s outbuildings.

Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1984.

The Verrerie Park

Covering an area of 28 hectares, the Verrerie Park is a veritable green lung, where visitors can discover dozens of tree species, including many centuries-old giants. Near the château, French-style gardens and a vast panoramic terrace offer views of the central lawn, which slopes down to the pond. The park also features the aquatic centre, which was completely renovated in 2018 and houses, amongst other facilities: a 25-metre indoor pool, a 50-metre outdoor pool, a diving pit and a wellness area…

241-P 17 locomotive

Manufactured by Schneider in 1949, the 241 P 17 steam locomotive is designed for high-speed service, with a commercial speed of 120 km/h. It is the only steam locomotive of this type and power (4,000 chevaux) still in operation in Europe since this series was phased out in the late 1960s. The 241 P17 holds a mileage record, having travelled 1,741,865 km. Re-lit in 1969 to travel to a railway equipment exhibition, it was eventually transported to Le Creusot in 1971. After 13 years of restoration, it was returned to service in 2006 to travel along the railways of France and Europe.

Parc des Combes

Developed from the 1980s onwards under the impetus of enthusiasts, Parc des Combes is now the second most popular tourist destination in Saône-et-Loire. It offers families the chance to enjoy around twenty attractions, ranging from the gentlest to the most thrilling, in a stunning setting. A 1947 steam locomotive, listed as a historic monument and recently restored, offers journeys across France and Europe.

L’Arc

Opened: 1968.

Features: established in the heart of the town in 1968, L’Arc is a cultural centre which was awarded the ‘Scène nationale’ status in 1991. Around thirty shows (theatre, music, circus, comedy, dance) take place there each season. L’Arc also hosts artists-in-residence and exhibitions of national significance, such as the Pierre Soulages exhibition in 2019.

Designation: Scène nationale (National Stage).