The Queen of the Waters

In Vichy, park in the large (free) car park at the Stade Municipal Louis Darragon.
Please note! This hike is not fully signposted.

(S/E) Leave the car park heading west towards Lac d'Allier and take the promenade along the lake on the left. Pass a stream, the Sichon, then the Yacht Club and the Rotonde restaurant. Continue along the Quai d'Allier, noting some beautiful houses on the left.

At the Bungalow restaurant, in front of one of the entrances to Parc Napoléon III, leave the lakefront and turn left onto Avenue Walter Stucki. At the crossroads, continue straight on Boulevard des États-Unis, passing behind the Centre Thermal des Dômes.

(1) Turn right onto Avenue Thermale. Opposite the Hall des Sources, a large glass building, turn right to arrive in front of the main entrance to the Centre Thermal des Dômes. Free entry to the hall. Continue straight ahead, cross Boulevard des États-Unis and enter Parc Napoléon III opposite. Take the path on the left, which passes behind the Chalets Napoléon. After the last chalet, exit the park on the left to return to Boulevard des États-Unis and follow it to the left to pass in front of the chalets.

(2) Turn right onto Rue Petit, then immediately right onto Rue Alquié, lined with beautiful houses of various styles. Cross Rue de Belgique, turn left onto Boulevard de Russie, then immediately right onto Rue d'Italie. Cross Boulevard des États-Unis and enter Parc Napoléon III again opposite. Follow any path on the left.

(3) Cross a busy road (D2209, Avenue Aristide Briant) at the entrance to Pont de Bellerive and continue into Parc Kennedy on the other side. Turn slightly left towards the pond to find the bust of Madame de Sévigné, then continue at your leisure through the park, along the banks of the Allier or along the paths lined with remarkable trees.

You will come to a small street/cycle path that crosses the park, from Boulevard du Président Kennedy towards the Allier, and turn left onto a parallel path. You will arrive at Boulevard du Président Kennedy with the University Centre in front of you and the entrance to Parc des Célestins on your left. Enter the park and head left to find the Source des Célestins pavilion. Admission and tasting are free.

(4) Exit the pavilion and go around it on the right, on a path that goes uphill, and continue through the park. Soon, on your right, you will see an esplanade. Head in that direction. This is the terrace of the former Source Lardy pavilion, which now houses the university library. Go down a few steps on the right as you enter the university grounds, then turn right into the courtyard of this pavilion, which has been renovated to its original state. Leave the courtyard and continue straight on Rue Lardy until you reach Rue du Maréchal Lyautey.

Follow it to the left. At Place de la Victoire, turn left between the Pharmacie des Célestins and a patisserie to head towards the Church of Saint-Blaise-et-Notre-Dame-des-Malades. Shortly afterwards, you will find Rue de Besse on your right, with Albert Londre's house on the corner. Continue towards the church, go around it on the left and enter through the old chapel. Inside, after visiting the chapel, turn right and walk through the stunning modern church.

(5) Exit at the end of the church and continue opposite Rue Hubert Colombier, lined with beautiful houses of various styles. Arrive at Rue Maréchal Foch and follow it to the left for a few metres to find the Petit Casino (now the Valéry Larbau Cultural Centre) on your left. The exterior of this building is unassuming, but if it is open, you must go inside to see the Art Deco stained glass windows on the upper floor. On leaving, continue left along Rue Maréchal Foch until you reach Place Victor Hugo. Turn left into the Parc Thermal and immediately turn left again to take the covered walkway lined with shops at the Fer à Cheval, which surrounds the bandstand. On the other side of the Fer à Cheval, cross the street and pass to the left of the Casino.

(6) Turn left to pass in front of the façade of the Opera-Palais des Congrès (guided tours available, see Practical Information). You will come to Rue du Parc and take the covered walkway on the right that goes around the Parc Thermal. Turn left onto Rue Prunelle for a short return trip to the pretty Maison du Castel, at the corner of Rue du Pontillard. Return to the park and continue on the left.

Shortly afterwards, at the Tourist Office on your left, turn right and slightly back to cross the park and come out on the other side on Rue du Président Wilson. Follow it a little to the right, then take Passage Ciboin opposite to come out in front of the Église Saint-Louis (visits possible). Turn left onto Rue Georges Clemenceau.

(7) Turn left onto Rue du Président Roosevelt, which leads to Rue du Président Wilson. Follow this road to the right, then take Passage de l'Amirauté to return to Rue Georges Clemenceau. Follow this road to the left until you reach the crossroads with Rue de Paris on the right and Rue Lucas on the left.

Take the latter, then turn left onto Rue Montaret to reach Rue du Président Wilson. Turn right, then left onto Rue Lucas at the corner of the Hall des Sources. The free entrance is on this side (the other entrances are reserved for spa guests). Tasting available.

(8) At the exit, go straight ahead onto Avenue Thermale.

(1) Cross Avenue Victoria and continue straight ahead on Avenue Thermale until you reach Place de la République. Cross the square and turn left onto Rue de Vingré. At the end of the street, turn right to cross the Sichon and you will find the car park of the Stade Municipal Louis Darragon (S/E) just on the other side.

This short urban walk presents no difficulty.

Location of public toilets here: Go to ‘Ville propre’ then ‘Public toilets’ to view the map.

Visiting the Opera House: you can either attend a performance or take a guided tour organised by the Tourist Office (for a fee). In both cases, please contact the Tourist Office (Rue du Parc, between Rue Prunelle and Rue Petit, not far from the Opera House) as the Opera House’s ticket office is also located there.

Discover more walks in this area, complete with descriptions or via the Visorando app, here

Some photos here

Some information, sourced from theVichy Tourist Office.

Between (S/E) and (1)

The Allier. As a major trade route, the Allier saw the emergence of a very active guild of boatmen in^{the 15th} century. The river was channelled in^{the 19th} century to create the Napoleon III Park. Its original course reached as far as the houses in Old Vichy and posed a threat during its frequent floods. In 1960, the Allier was once again tamed with the creation of a reservoir.

Between (1) and (2)

The Grand Établissement Thermal. Built between 1899 and 1903, this former^first-class spa, which was extended in the 1930s, is striking for its Neo-Moorish style. The wing of the building overlooking the Boulevard des États-Unis now houses the Centre thermal des Dômes. Just a stone’s throw away, the Callou thermal baths also offer traditional spa treatments.

Napoleon III Park. A 13-hectare English-style park, created in 1861 by order of Napoleon III on the site of a secondary branch of the River Allier. The work was overseen by the engineer Jean-François Radoult de Lafosse, whilst the planting was carried out by the Moulins-based horticulturist Joseph Marie. The park features around 450 trees and 65 species from different continents.

The Napoleon III chalets. Serving as private residences for Napoleon III and the imperial entourage during their stays in Vichy, these chalets – inspired by colonial, English or Swiss styles – were built from 1862 onwards by the architect Jean Lefaure on the edge of the new park.
No. 109: the Emperor’s chalet; Napoleon III stayed there from 7 July to 5 August 1863.
No. 107: The Emperor’s chalet. Napoleon III stayed here in 1864 and 1866. An ‘N’ and an imperial crown are visible in the wrought ironwork of the front door.

Between (2) and (3)

Rue Alquié. A row of English-style houses built from 1863 onwards by the architect Jean Lefaure to house the officers of the Imperial Guard who accompanied Napoleon III during his stays in Vichy.
Rue de Belgique. This street illustrates the boom in the construction of villas in the spa town between the late^19th century and the first half of^{the 20th} century, in a variety of styles and drawing on diverse cultural influences.
The Boulevard de Russie. A boulevard lined with villas built between the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, reflecting the architectural eclecticism of that era.

Between (3) and (4)

Madame de Sévigné. A famous spa-goer, the Marquise spent two periods of treatment in Vichy, in 1676 and 1677, to treat rheumatism in her hands and knees. In her letters to Madame de Grignan, the Marquise de Sévigné speaks of Vichy in these terms: ‘It is certain that the waters here are miraculous ’; ‘So I took the waters this morning, my dearest. Ah! How awful they are (…). We go to the spring at six o’clock. Everyone is there. We drink them, and we pull a most grim face, for just imagine—they are scalding hot and have a most unpleasant taste of saltpetre.’

The Source des Célestins. The natural springhead of Vichy’s most famous water and the only one to be bottled. The spring takes its name from a^15th-century monastery, built on the rock, of which only a section of wall remains today. The water gushes from fissures in an aragonite rock. The spring’s pavilion, in the Neo-Louis XVI style, was built in 1908. Free tasting.

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The Lardy Thermal Spa. This former third-class brick spa, built in 1937 by the architect Letrosne, is a reminder of the strict hierarchy within the spa industry at the turn of the century. The spa was built on the banks of the Lardy spring, which was said at the time to ‘produce, particularly in women, the same effects as champagne’. The building now houses a university centre.

The Old Vichy district. This neighbourhood was built on the Roc des Célestins (263 m), where the population settled in the Middle Ages, abandoning the spa district. Behind the church stood the castle of the Dukes of Bourbon. A strategic point for controlling the crossing of the River Allier, the town was ruined by the Wars of Religion, and Henry IV subsequently ordered its demolition.

The House of Albert Londres. This corner house with two turrets, built of brick around 1860 in a neo-medieval style, is the birthplace of the poet, journalist and reporter Albert Londres (1884–1932).

The Church of Saint-Blaise and Notre-Dame-Des-Malades. The former^15th-century Chapel of Saint-Blaise was a place of fervent Marian worship due to the many miracles said to have taken place there. The small chapel, which underwent extensive alterations in^{the 19th} century, is situated at the rear of the modern church, to which it is connected.
In response to the fervour of the faithful and the influx of spa visitors to Vichy, the original chapel had to be enlarged: an Art Deco-style church, dedicated to Notre-Dame-des-Malades, was built between 1925 and 1937 by the architects Chanet and Liogier. The interior décor features a rich variety of techniques (paintings, mosaics and stained-glass windows) which contrast with the building’s austere exterior. The Mauméjan brothers created the stained-glass windows with biblical themes that line the nave (the Nativity, the Crucifixion, the Mysteries of the Rosary, etc.).

Between (5) and (6)

Rue Hubert Colombier. A street lined with houses of various styles (Art Nouveau, eclectic, neoclassical, neo-Gothic, etc.) which links the spa district to old Vichy. Hubert Colombier, President of the Bar at the Cusset Court and owner of the Banque de Vichy, commissioned the architect Percilly to build this complex of rental villas between 1897 and 1900. Formerly a private residence, the half-timbered house at No. 20, built by the architect Vianne, housed the concierge’s office.

The Petit Casino. An entertainment venue built by the architects Chanet and Liogier in 1929 and converted into a cultural centre in 1965. The former theatre auditorium and foyer have been preserved. The entrance staircase is adorned with stained-glass windows by Francis Chigot, a master glassmaker from Limoges, symbolising Tragedy, Music and Comedy. The Valery Larbaud Cultural Centre now hosts a programme of contemporary music.

The Bandstand and the Horseshoe. This bandstand was built by the architect Charles Lecœur in 1902. Emile Robert crafted the thistles and the wrought-iron musical staves on the balustrades. It hosts free open-air concerts from May to September. The seven bandstands that Vichy had at the turn of the century bore witness to the importance of music in ‘the Queen of Spa Towns’. A ‘horseshoe-shaped’ shopping arcade encircles the bandstand and extends the covered arcade around the Source de l’Hôpital.

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The Palais des Congrès-Opéra. A jewel in the city’s architectural heritage, the Palais des Congrès-Opéra comprises the former Grand Casino (which became the Palais des Congrès in 1995) and the Opera House, both modernised by Jean Guilhem de Castelbajac. The original building (Casino-Théâtre), designed by the architect Charles Badger in 1865 at the request of Napoleon III, housed a ballroom, a theatre, and gaming and entertainment rooms. However, Vichy’s reputation was such that, in 1900, the architect Charles Lecœur was commissioned to extend the building westwards: the new Art Nouveau theatre, with its 1,486 seats, was the culmination of this project. The Opera House is the only Art Nouveau theatre in France decorated in shades of gold and ivory.

Saint-Louis Church. Among the rituals of the spa treatment were the religious services that punctuated the spa-goer’s stay. In 1865, Napoleon III commissioned the construction of a new place of worship, dedicated to Saint Louis, in the centre of the spa town. The building was designed by the architect Jean Lefaure in a neo-medieval style that blends references to Auvergne Romanesque art (the general plan of the church, the mosaics on the façade’s pediment), elements borrowed from Burgundian Romanesque style (pilasters, fluted columns in the transept) and, finally, Gothic features (the rose window on the façade). The stained-glass windows in the chancel, created by master glassmaker Antoine Lusson, depict the imperial family in the guise of saints: Saint Eugénie, Saint Hortense and Saint Napoleon appear on either side of Christ. In 1914, Alphonse Osbert created a mural to adorn the chancel’s circular apse, depicting the glory of Saint Louis.
The church is directly connected to the Parc des Sources via the Giboin covered passageway, whose metalwork was designed in 1887 by the architect Antoine Percilly.

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Passages and pedestrian streets. A lively neighbourhood of cafés and brasseries, the 4 Chemins and the pedestrian streets offer spacious terraces, ideal for a break after a spot of shopping in the boutiques, which are open every Sunday and on public holidays throughout the year.

The Hall des Sources and the covered gallery. Built in 1903, the Hall des Sources currently houses the drinking fountains for the five springs used for hydropathy: Célestins, Lucas, Hôpital, Chomel and Grande Grille. Inspired by the ‘trinkalle’ found in German or Austro-Hungarian spa resorts, this structure of glass and cast iron is designed to blend harmoniously with the Parc des Sources. On either side of the park, a 700-metre-long covered gallery leads to the Palais des Congrès – Opéra.