Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region
Departments: Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Cantal, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Lyon Metropolis, Savoie, Haute-Savoie.
Population: 8.2 million.
Prefecture: Lyon
Area: 69,711 km
Specialities: Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône and Savoie wines, Lyon specialities (quenelles, cervelles de canut, saucisson, etc.), Auvergne potée, Savoyard specialities (raclette, fondue, tartiflettes, diots, crozets), cheeses (Beaufort, Reblochon, Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, Salers, Saint-Nectaire, etc.), green lentils from Le Puy, waters (Évian, Thonon, Volvic), verbena, Chartreuse.
Sports clubs: Olympique Lyonnais, AS Saint-Etienne, Clermont Foot 63, Grenoble Foot 38 (football). ASM Clermont, Lyon OU, FC Grenoble, Stade Aurillacois, US Oyonnax (rugby), ASVEL Villeurbanne (basketball), Chambéry (handball), Brûleurs de loup Grenoble, Pionniers de Chamonix (ice hockey)
Competitions: Women's Football World Cup, skiing competitions (Critérium de la Première Neige in Val d'Isère), Tour de France mountain passes, Critérium du Dauphiné.
Economy: (8th European region) cutting-edge industries, automotive (Berliet), metallurgy, rubber, plastics, chemicals, electronics, agri-food, textiles, digital, banking, universities, government, viticulture. Tyres (Michelin). Design. New technologies (Inovallée). Winter and summer tourism.
Festivals: Festival of Lights in Lyon / Nuits de Fourvière in Lyon / Quais du polar in Lyon / Design Biennial in Saint-Etienne / Classical Music Festival in La Chaise-Dieu
Tourist attractions: Old Lyon and Croix-Rousse, Puy-en-Velay Cathedral, Lake Annecy, Chambéry Castle, winter sports in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie, Cantal, spa resorts, Auvergne volcanoes. Pont d'Arc Cave. Grignan Castle. Grenoble Bastille. Vulcania. Parc des Oiseaux.
Websites and social media:www.auvergnerhonealpes.fr
ALLIER (03)
Population: 333,298
Prefecture: Moulins.
Sub-prefectures: Montluçon, Vichy.
Area: 7,340 km²
Number of municipalities: 317
Specialities: potato pâté, Charolais beef, andouillette sausage, Saint-Pourçain wines (AOC), Chambérat du Bourbonnais wine, Charroux mustard, Moulinois mustard, vérités de Lapalisse biscuits and Vichy pastilles.
Major sports clubs: Moulins Yzeure Foot 03 Auvergne, Montluçon Football (men's football), Yzeure Allier Auvergne (women's football), Jeanne d'Arc de Vichy Val d'Allier (basketball). FC Moulinois (rugby). Ligier (motor racing).
Competitions: Ironman Vichy, Vin'Scène en Bourbonnais, Foulée vichyssoises (running race),
Tourist attractions: Thermal spas: Vichy, Néris-les-Bains; Lapalisse Castle and its famous Renaissance coffered ceilings , Bourbon-l'Archambault Castle, "birthplace of the Bourbons", Grand Casino of Vichy, Jacquemart belfry in Moulins, Château de Chareil-Cintrat, the historic route of the châteaux of Auvergne; churches and abbeys: Moulins Cathedral and the triptych of the Virgin in Glory, Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Priory Church in Souvigny. Museums: National Centre for Stage Costumes, Museum of the Visitation and Bourbon Life, Anne-de-Beaujeu Museum, Museum of Children's Illustration (MIJ), the Building Museum and Maison Mantin in Moulins, Augustin-Bernard Museum in Bourbon-l'Archambault, Museum of Popular Music (Mupop) in Montluçon, Museum of African and Asian Arts in Vichy, Museum of Vines and Terroir in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, Museum of Souvigny, Historial of the Farmer Soldier in Fleuriel, Street Art City in Lurcy-Lévis. Villages: Charroux, Hérisson, Souvigny and Verneuil-en-Bourbonnais.
Festivals: Jazz dans le Bocage, Jazz au Fil du Cher, Musiques Vivantes, Opéra de Poche, Journées Musicales d'Automne in Souvigny, Monts de la Madeleine music festival, Boubonnais music festival, Festival Lyrique en Tonçais.
Economy: agriculture still accounts for a large share of the job market. Tourism and thermal spas are also important. Industry is very present, mainly in metallurgy, mechanical engineering, electrical equipment and food manufacturing, but also in rubber and plastic products, which account for half of the department's industrial jobs. The mechanical/electronic/IT/automation/plastics sector includes major groups such as Sagem-Safran, Potain-Manitowoc, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Dunlop Goodyear (in Montluçon), Erasteel-Eramet, Amis and Bosch (in Yzeure). Its development is supported by the Viameca competitiveness cluster and local technical training programmes (Montluçon). The wood industry, linked to local forestry, includes leading groups such as Berry Wood, Chignac Bois et scierie, Ets Canard, Ets J. Bourdier, Ets Roy et Fils, Fournel Emballages, Menuiserie Charpente Philippe Guillaumin, Menuiserie Dutour, Office national des forêts, Sedec, Sefic, Stand Expo Deco, and Tonnerre. The agri-food sector is based on a strong local agricultural tradition, quality and high-end products, mainly focused on water and meat, as well as the internationally renowned Céréales Vallée competitiveness cluster. It includes large industrial groups (Alliance Bigard Charal, Compagnie de Vichy, Épicentre, Kraft Food, Ldc, Sicarev, Société commerciale des eaux du bassin de Vichy, etc.) and numerous SMEs (Allier Volailles, Convivial, Pouzadoux, Puigrenier, Sicaba, etc.). The nutrition and health sector has around ten companies active in manufacturing, packaging and biotechnology, grouped together in an association (Nutravita). It benefits from the dynamism of the Naturopôle Nutrition Santé park and the BioParc de Vichy (L'Oréal Cosmétique in Vichy).
Websites/FB:www.allier.fr, www.allier-auvergne-tourisme.com, Twitter: @Allierdpt
Km 4.4
Saint-Germain-des-Fossés (Pop: 3,580)
The village developed around its Cluniac priory, which was dependent on Mozac Abbey. Comedian Fernand Raynaud, who was extremely popular in the 1960s, is buried in the village cemetery, where he spent his holidays since childhood. The creator of the sketch 22 à Asnières died in 1973 at the age of 47 in a road accident while driving his Rolls-Royce near his hometown of Riom. He had dedicated a sketch to his passion for cycling, entitled Moi, montruc, c'est le vélo (My thing is cycling).
Notre-Dame Church
Construction: 12th century.
Style: Romanesque.
History and characteristics: it is part of the former priory attached to the Order of Cluny and dependent on Mozac Abbey. It enjoyed civil and criminal justice rights. The Romanesque church is topped by a bell tower with an imperial dome. The nave has three bays and is equipped with aisles. The transept does not protrude. The chevet consists of an apse flanked by two apsidioles. A side chapel dates from the 15th century. The statue of the Virgin Mary, the object of a pilgrimage on 2 July, was installed in the north apsidiole before being transferred to the new basilica. It houses 13th-century murals.
Listed as: historic monument in 1969.
Km 12.2
Bolly (Pop. 820)
During the Early Middle Ages, an initial castrum surrounded by dwellings formed the embryo of the future commune, which developed in the 12th century when a fortress was built, soon to become the property of the lords of Bourbon, around which the town enjoyed the status of a "free town". Combined with the activity linked to river trade, this arrangement ensured Billy's prosperity, which began to decline after the Wars of Religion. In the meantime, the town surrounding the castle and the other centre of the village, near the church, were connected. An exceptional heritage remains from this rich past, in addition to the remains of the castle itself. So much so that in 2021, the town was awarded the "Petite Cité de Caractère" label.
The entire village of Billy, built around its medieval castle, has been a listed site since 1975.
Billy Castle
Construction: 13th to 16th centuries.
Style: fortified castle
History: built from the end of the 12th century on a hill overlooking the Allier river from its right bank, it was the seat of a castellany which, at its peak in the early 16th century, had power over 62 parishes and 3 seigneuries. With five semi-circular towers, wide 10-metre-high walls decorated with shields and arrow slits, the fortress was long considered impregnable. With its monumental gate, two massive towers, moats and a series of walls, later augmented by a watchtower, the building has stood the test of time, despite suffering damage during the Wars of Religion. Passed from the Duchy of Bourbon to the royal domain, it was not dismantled by Richelieu unlike many medieval fortresses. After its golden age, the castle became a prison and then served as a stone quarry. It was restored by volunteers in the 1960s. It includes a 14th-century seigneurial residence, which is more comfortable than the main tower.
Listed as: historic monument in 1921.
Km 15.1
Mercenat (Pop. 380)
The commune is home to Château de Lonzat, where Marshal Pétain spent his summers during the Occupation. In the spring of 1944, with the Allied landings approaching, the Germans, fearing he might be kidnapped or flee, forced him to stay at the château, which was then protected by two hundred soldiers from his personal guard in the château grounds and 1,500 German soldiers in the surrounding area.
Km 26.3
Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule (Pop. 4,880)
Renowned for its AOC vineyards, whose origins date back to Antiquity, the small town of Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, founded in the 5th century around an ancient monastery, is home to an interesting heritage, such as the welcoming Place du Maréchal Foch, dominated by the silhouette of the clock tower, its Romanesque-Gothic church, the pretty Benedictine courtyard and the museum dedicated to the Saint-Pourçain vineyards.
In 1987, the Confrérie des Compagnons de la Ficelle (Brotherhood of the String) was founded. It perpetuates the tradition whereby Gaultier, a 15th-century tavern keeper in Saint-Pourçain, served his wine in earthenware jugs. Unable to see how much his customers were drinking, he had the clever idea of tying regular knots in a string that he dipped into the wine jugs to see how much was left. For 38 years now, Saint-Pourçain has been celebrating the release of the string on the first Saturday in December.
In 2024, the town hosted the start of the Critérium du Dauphiné, with Mads Pedersen beating Sam Bennett on the line. In 2013, Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule was the start of a stage of the Tour de France won in Lyon by Matteo Trentin. A stage of the 2010 Tour de l'Avenir finally set off from this wine-growing town. It was during this race that the new generation of Colombian riders, led by Nairo Quintana, winner of the event, began to make their mark on the international scene.
Clock tower or belfry
Construction: 15th century.
History: erected in 1480 on one of the old towers of the monastic enclosure, it was initially used as a watchtower. It was then equipped with a clock and bell by the inhabitants. Inside the tower is a spiral staircase that can be admired from the bailiff's house, which houses the collections of the Vine Museum; one of the museum's rooms is dedicated to the history of the town.
Listed as: historic monument in 1986. Sainte-Croix Church
Construction: 11th and 15th century.
Style: Romanesque and Gothic.
Characteristics: the former Sainte-Croix priory, now a parish church, is a vast building that required several construction campaigns. It has a porch dating from the early Romanesque period, above which rises the bell tower. The Gothic nave is covered with a ship's hull roof structure. Inside, visitors will particularly admire the choir, whose roundabout features very elegant pointed arches. The north porch has retained the niches and bases of its former statue columns, which were destroyed during the Revolution. The 15th-century Benedictine monks' stalls, the late 16th-century polychrome stone statue of Ecce Homo and the 18th-century high altar are the most beautiful objects preserved inside this church, which also has a 19th-century Cavaillé-Coll organ.
Listed as: historic monument in 1875. Museum of Vineyards and Local Produce
Construction: 16th century.
Characteristics: the museum, which is housed in the Bailiff's house (16th century) in the Benedictine courtyard, has more than a dozen rooms to explore, offering an insight into the Saint-Pourçain vineyards and their history: winegrowers' and craftsmen's tools related to viticulture, winemaking techniques and everyday life.
Km 36.5
Monétay-sur-Allier (Pop. 540)
Lagrillère Castle
Construction: 19th century.
Style: English-inspired.
History and characteristics: this red brick building was constructed at the end of the 19th century when Stephen Durieu de Lacarelle, returning from a trip to Scotland, decided to abandon his château in Logères to build a building in the Anglicising style of the 1900s. The initial project was designed by Jean Moreau and continued in 1899 by his son in collaboration with the owner, who designed the plans, façades and layout himself. The interior decorations were carried out by sculptor Thiébaud and painter and decorator Germain Détanger. The large and small salons, separated by columns with Corinthian capitals, are decorated with stucco and woodwork in the spirit of the 18th century. The smoking-room library, the study and the dining room with woodwork topped with mythological scenes were partly salvaged from Château de Logères. Upstairs, the bedrooms are decorated and furnished in different styles. The most remarkable interior feature is the monumental pink marble staircase in Renaissance style. The park was redesigned at the same time.
Listed as: historic monument in 1990.
Km 38.7
Châtel-de-Neuvre (Pop. 560)
Saint-Laurent Church
Construction: 11th and 12th centuries.
History and characteristics: Saint-Laurent Church was built between the 11th and 12th centuries. Built in the Romanesque style, it features a beautiful 15th-century mural depicting Saint Sebastian in its north chapel. Built on a hill, it offers a beautiful view of the river and its surroundings. Considered one of the oldest in the department, it has a narrow nave.
Listed as: historic monument in 1927.
Km 48.3
Chemilly (Pop. 580)
Saint-Denis Church
Construction: 11th and 12th centuries.
History and characteristics: It dates from the late Romanesque period in Bourbonnais. In 1152, the church belonged to the former diocese of Bourges. The building has harmonious proportions. The three-bay nave, covered with a broken barrel vault, is flanked by aisles with groin vaults. The projecting portal is surmounted by an archivolt with three arches, and the piers are formed of small columns with sculpted capitals. Inside the church is a Virgin with a Bird. This original polychrome wooden statue dates from the 15th century and was restored in 1987. Today, there is only one bell in the square bell tower, which has two floors.
Listed as: historic monument in 1910.
Km 55.7
Moulins (Pop: 20,000)
The prefecture of Allier, Moulins, a city of Art and History, offers lovers of architectural and cultural heritage a beautiful legacy, testimony to its glorious past as the former duchy of the Bourbon family. There are many attractions to discover: Notre-Dame Cathedral, with its famous triptych by the Master of Moulins, depicting the Coronation of the Virgin, and its 15th- and 16th-century stained-glass windows; the Mal Coiffée keep, a remnant of the former ducal castle; the 15th-century belfry, topped by a jacquemart; the old houses in the historic centre, some of which are decorated with half-timbering; the 15th- and 16th-century Renaissance Anne de Beaujeu pavilion... A remnant of the ducal palace, the latter houses the Anne de Beaujeu Museum, renowned for its remarkable collections of archaeology, medieval sculptures, Flemish, German and Austrian paintings, and 19th-century academic paintings.
In 2023, Moulins was the only metropolitan prefecture not to have hosted the Tour de France in its 120-year history. This anomaly was rectified with a sprint victory by Jasper Philipsen. But the capital of the Allier department had other cycling credentials to boast about. It hosted the Critérium du Dauphiné and Paris-Nice in the same year, 1957. Jean-Pierre Bourgeot, a native of Moulins, competed in four Tours de France between 1993 and 1996. Angelo Tulik, another local rider, competed in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 Tours.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Annunciation
Construction: 15th century, then 19th century.
Style: Flamboyant Gothic, Neo-Gothic.
History: the choir is in the flamboyant Gothic style of the 15th century, built in orange yellow Coulandon sandstone. The nave and neo-Gothic spires shine with a mixture of white Chauvigny limestone and some black Volvic stone, in the Gothic style of the 13th century, considered at the time to be the purest by 19th-century architects. The work to complete the cathedral, undertaken in the 1850s by architects Lassus and Millet, was abandoned. The cathedral was finally completed in the 1880s on a more modest scale. Its two spires are 82 metres high but appear taller because the cathedral's forecourt overlooks the Allier river by about twenty metres.
Special features: the cathedral houses the famous triptych by the Master of Moulins (Jean Hey). Its gallery organ by Joseph Merklin (1880) has been listed as a historic monument since 1975. The cathedral also houses a choir organ by John Abbey.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1875.
Triptych by the Master of MoulinsCreation: 1502
Style: Gothic and Renaissance.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1898.
Characteristics: the triptych is attributed to the "Master of Moulins". After a long period of debate concerning his identity, he is now identified with near certainty as Flemish painter Jean Hey, whose first known work is the Nativity preserved in Autun, at the Rolin Museum. This triptych from Moulins Cathedral, dated 1502, is in excellent condition. It depicts the Virgin of the Apocalypse, accompanied by the donors, Duke Pierre II and Duchess Anne de Beaujeu, with their daughter Suzanne. This work presents elements that bridge the gap between the relatively late Gothic tradition and the emerging Renaissance. Anne de Beaujeu Museum
Construction: 1500
Museum opened: 1910
Characteristics: its collections include 20,000 works, artefacts, archaeological finds, coins, spurs, weapons and a natural history collection classified into five themes: archaeology, history of the Bourbons, 15th-century German and Flemish painting, 18th-century decorative arts, and 19th-century painting and sculpture.
History: the museum has been housed in the pavilion known as Anne de Beaujeu on the site of the Château des Ducs de Bourbon since 1910. The pavilion was built around 1500 and encloses the large courtyard of the medieval castle. It is an early example of Renaissance architecture in France. The current museum owes much to the former sub-prefect Louis Mantin, who owned a villa adjoining the château. He bequeathed his house, his collections and a sum of money for the foundation of a museum in the Anne-de-Beaujeu pavilion.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1840. Museum labelled Musée de France.
Km 59.6
Yzeure (Pop. 12,900)
With nearly 13,000 inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous town in the Allier department. In 2019, Sam Bennett won the third stage of Paris-Nice here ahead of Caleb Ewan and Fabio Jacobsen.
Saint-Pierre Church
Construction: from the 9th century onwards.
Style: Romanesque.
Characteristics: it dates back to the 9th century and was transformed over the following centuries. The ornamentation on its 12th-century façade is remarkable. The Burgundian-influenced portal features capitals decorated with monsters in antique styles and modillions with fantastical decorations. In the nave and aisles, 32 12th-century capitals are carved with foliage and plants. It contains exceptional furnishings such as the guild benches, numerous listed statues from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, and the pulpit dating from 1623.
Listed as: historic monument in 1914. Panloup Castle
Construction: 17th century.
Style: classical.
Characteristics: an elegant 17th-century stately home whose lantern towers stand out gracefully against the trees in the surrounding park. The door leading to the old chapel is surmounted by a 12th- or 13th-century gabled lintel depicting the Paschal Lamb.
Current use: this polychrome brick château belongs to the town and is used as an exhibition and leisure venue. The grounds are open to the public.
Listed as: historic monument in 1947.
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region
Departments: Côte d'Or, Doubs, Jura, Nièvre, Haute-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, Yonne, Territoire de Belfort
Population: 2.8 million
Prefecture: Dijon
Area: 47,784 km
Specialities: Burgundy and Maconnais wines, Jura wines, cheeses (Comté, Mont d'Or, Morbier, Bleu de Gex, Cancoillotte), beef bourguignon, Bresse poultry, kir.
Sports clubs: FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, AJ Auxerre, FC Gueugnon (football), Elan Sportif Chalonnais, JDA Dijon (basketball), Jeanne d'Arc Dijon (handball).
Competitions: motor racing at the Dijon-Prenois circuit, Franck Pineau gran fondo in Auxerre
Economy: automotive (Peugeot-Montbéliard), Alstom, General Electric (rail), steel, mining, parachemistry, pharmaceuticals, electronics, plastics, paper, mechanical and automotive industries, agriculture (cereals, beet, cattle farming, cheese). Forestry. Watchmaking. Tourism.
Festivals: Eurockéennes in Belfort, Beaune Hospices Charity Auction, Grandes Heures de Cluny, Rencontres Musicales in Vézelay, Ecrans de l'Aventure in Dijon, Dijon International and Gastronomic Fair, Fenêtres sur Courts in Dijon. Courbet Bicentennial. Besançon Early Music Festival.
Tourist attractions: Fontenay Abbey, Vézelay Basilica, Notre-Dame-du-Haut Chapel in Ronchamp, Burgundy vineyards, Besançon Citadel, Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy in Dijon, Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, Autun Cathedral, Guédelon Castle, Hospices de Beaune, Citadel and Lion of Belfort, Cluny Abbey, Ballon d'Alsace, Solutré Rock.
Websites and social media:www.bourgognefranchecomte.fr
NIÈVRE (58)
Population: 201,417 spread across 17 cantons and 309 municipalities.
Prefecture: Nevers (32,990 inhabitants).
Sub-prefectures: Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, Clamecy, Château-Chinon
Specialities: Earthenware. Stoneware. Nougatines. Pavés de la route bleue (blue road paving stones). Pouilly Fumé (AOC), Coteaux du Giennois, Charolais beef, andouillette de Clamecy, Morvan ham, Le Nivernais cow's cheese, Le Cosne goat's cheese, craft breweries, etc.
Sport: Uson rugby (Pro D2), Nevers-Magny-Cours motor racing circuit, ESL Canoë-kayak
Festivals/Culture: Cité des Présents, which includes the costume museum and the Musée du Septennat in Château-Chinon (opening in 2026), Musée de La Machine, Musée Grasset, Musée des Forges Royales in Guérigny, Bibracte. Djazz, Luzy Accordion Festival.
Tourist attractions: Nevers-Magny-Cours motor racing circuit, Saint Cyr Sainte Julitte Cathedral (2 crypts), Saint Etienne Romanesque church, Sainte Bernadette church, Sainte Bernadette, Morvan Regional Nature Park, Bec d'Allier panorama, orientation table at Bibracte, sensitive natural areas, César sculpture (Clamecy), etc.
Economy: agriculture, Magny-Cours technology park, textiles, crafts...
Websites: nievre.fr,https://citedespresents.nievre.fr/
Km 90.3
Decize (Pop. 4,930)
Perched on a rocky island in the Loire, at the crossroads of navigable waterways, the ancient fortified town of Decize offers visitors a wealth of heritage discoveries. These include the rampart towers, remnants of the medieval walls; the pleasant Promenade des Halles, a long avenue shaded by magnificent plane and lime trees; the ruins of the former castle of the Counts of Nevers; the Clock Tower, adorned with a statue of lawyer Guy Coquille; and the Church of Saint-Aré, with its 11th-century choir and 7th-century Merovingian crypt.
It is the birthplace of novelist Maurice Genevoix (1890-1980), a soldier in the Great War and member of the Académie Française.
Paris-Nice stopped in Decize in 1963 for a first stage won in a sprint by Rik Van Looy ahead of Rudi Altig and Jean Stablinski.
Saint-Aré Church
Construction: 11th and 12th centuries.
Style: Romanesque.
History: Saint-Aré Church in Decize is dedicated to the former bishop of Nevers (548-558) who wished to be placed in a boat and buried wherever it came to rest. According to legend, the boat travelled upriver to Decize. Built between the 11th and 12th centuries, only the choir and apses remain from this period. Significantly altered between the 15th and 19th centuries, Saint-Aré Church also has a crypt that was once built around a cave and an ancient Gallo-Roman temple. It is in this space, listed as a Historic Monument, that a statue of the Virgin Mary, Notre-Dame de Sous-Terre, is said to have been venerated for its miracles.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1875.
Km 99.5
La Machine (Pop. 3,200)
The town is known for its five centuries of coal mining (from the 13th century to 1974) and takes its name from a winding machine installed by workers from Liège in 1689 to bring coal to the surface.
Mining Museum
Founded: 1983.
History: for nearly two hundred years, coal was the main resource of the town of La Machine. Its mining, controlled after 1865 by the Schneider et Cie company, led to the drilling of mine shafts, the construction of several workers' housing estates and the recruitment of thousands of miners. When the last shaft closed in 1974, many miners wanted to preserve the memory of their profession by creating an educational and pedagogical centre.
Characteristics: open since 1983, the Mining Museum consists of three sites. On one side, a museum, housed in the former administrative headquarters of the "Houillères" (coal mines), traces the history of coal and the lives of miners (the pit, the snack bar, the dramas, leisure activities, etc.). The museum houses objects, photos and models donated by former miners. A few hundred metres away stands the headframe on the mine pithead, with its materials yard, extraction machine room and lamp room. Beneath the pithead, the former mine school gallery has been transformed into a place of discovery.
Listed as: Musée de France.
Km 121.5
Billy-Chevannes (Pop. 330)
Saint-Martin Church
Construction: 1100
Style: Romanesque
History: Saint-Antoine Church in Chevannes, part of which may date back to the late 11th or early 12th century, suffered serious damage in 1982. Part of a main beam in the roof structure gave way, causing the nave roof to collapse. The building had already required repairs on at least two previous occasions, including the choir in 1689. At that time, the stone arch was not restored to its former state but replaced by a curious structure consisting of an enormous beam resting on wall imposts that reinforced the pilasters of the old archway. In 1787, the gable wall of the portal was repaired and two flying buttresses were built on the façade and six on the nave. A wooden bell tower in front of the choir collapsed in the 19th century.
Special feature: the church had a beautiful collection of statues, which were moved to the church in Billy, as well as a bronze bell dating from 1511. A 12th-century wooden Virgin Mary is kept at the Porte de Croux in Nevers.
Listed as: historic monument in 1989.
Km 126.3
Saint-Benin-d’Azy (Pop. 1,260)
Richard Marillier, who was deputy director of the Tour de France from 1981 to 1990, was raised by his grandmother in Saint-Benin-d'Azy. A former member of the Resistance and special forces officer, he became national technical director and selector for the French road cycling teams in 1968 and remained in the post until 1981. It was under his leadership that Bernard Hinault became world champion in 1980. Between 1989 and 1991, he was also president of the National Cycling League. Creator of the Tour Nivernais Morvan, he directed the event from 1991 to 1996. He passed away in 2017.
Château d'Azy
Construction: 19th century.
History: The château was built by Count Denis Benoist d'Azy in 1847, after he left Château du Vieil Azy to his cousin. It is the work of Angers architect Pierre-Félix Delarue, who designed a neo-classical residence.
Characteristics: the château has a large rectangular body, flanked by four octagonal towers with sloping roofs and a horseshoe-shaped tower on the south side. The rooms are spacious and bright. A stone staircase with a balustrade and finely crafted pilasters leads to the first floor from the entrance hall, which is covered with beautifully crafted two-tone tiles. The façade features industrial decorations on the curved pediment of the large windows, representing a locomotive, pickaxes, a plough and a forge, symbols of this industrialist's pride.
Special features: there are door tops painted by Van Loo or Boucher, as well as wallpaper panels depicting La chasse (The Hunt), from the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, adorning the dining room.
Listed as: historic monument in 1991.
Km 146.4
Guérigny (Pop. 2,550)
The history of Guérigny is closely linked to that of Pierre Babaud de La Chaussade (1706-1792). Taking advantage of the surrounding natural resources, mainly iron ore, oak forests and numerous waterways, he established and developed the royal forges. This factory, which was entirely linked to shipbuilding, became one of the most important in France in the 18th century. In 1781, the State acquired the site. The forges continued to operate until 1971.
Villemenant Castle
Construction: 14th century.
History: Villemenant is one of the most remarkable castles in the Nivernais region, thanks to its uniform architectural style and harmonious proportions. Little is known about its construction. It is thought to have been built around 1360 by Girard de Caroble, chamberlain to the Duke of Nevers. Fortified during the Hundred Years' War, it became a pleasure palace during the Renaissance. It bears witness to the rise of the iron industry in the 17th and 18th centuries in the canton of Guérigny. Owned by the master of the forges, Badaud de la Chaussade, the main supplier of iron and anchors to the Navy, it was attached to the royal domain of Louis XVI in 1781.
Current use: open to visitors, it also offers private hire and guest rooms.
Listed as: historic monument in 1930. Château de la Chaussade
Construction: 18th century.
History: built in 1746 for Baron Pierre Badaud de la Chaussade, founder of the ironworks and author of a vast urban development project that can still be seen in Guérigny. From 1880 to 1971, this site specialised in chains and anchors for ships, supplying the navy and large commercial vessels. It comprises two wings with a ground floor and attic floor. Another wing stands parallel to the south wing. Part of the château housed the ironworks owner's employees. The ironworks' administrative services were also located in the château.
Note: The ironworks site is still partially preserved. The Association des Amis du Vieux Guérigny (Friends of Old Guérigny Association) maintains the buildings and holds an exhibition every spring and autumn on a different theme related to local or national industry. A permanent exhibition allows visitors to discover steam engines, hammer mills and items produced on site during its operation.
Listed as: historic monument in 1930.
Km 150.3
Urzy (Pop: 1,730)
Château des Bordes
Construction: 13th century.
Style: Gothic, Renaissance, Classical.
History: the Bordes seigneury belonged to the most illustrious families of the Nivernais region, who had close ties with the royal family from early on, as well as with the Polish crown in the 17th century. The château reached its peak in the 17th century but was abandoned in the 18th century and dismantled in the 20th century.
Characteristics: the north-west wing has disappeared. The south-east wing, which retains vestiges of the Middle Ages, remains, having been remodelled in the 17th and 19th centuries. The large main building has retained its classical layout; it is still decorated with vestiges of murals, stone fireplaces and a majestic grand staircase with its stone balustrade, surmounted by a cut-away vault. The château itself is complemented by numerous built features, forming a very large estate: a beautiful early 17th-century gate and gatehouse, a small caretaker's house, a bread oven, large outbuildings and terraces.
Current use: private, open to visitors in summer or the rest of the year by appointment.
Listed as: historic monument in 1946 and 1998.
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