Herisson, Allier
Herisson, sits on a bend of the beautiful Aumance river. The mediaeval town with which the gite shares many centuries of history has narrow streets, churches and chapels and the magnificent castle ruins.
A nearby village was where Alain Fournier grew up and where there is a museum dedicated to him. He was one of most celebrated early 20th century French authors despite writing only one book.
The largest oak forest in Europe was planted in the 17th Century to provide timber for the French Navy and is now provides opportunities for many rural activities.
Another mediaeval Bourbon town but with modern overtones; the celebrated Museum of popular music, viewed here from the floral gardens of Jardin Wilson, sits a few hundred metres from a mediaeval castle.
Bourbon l’Archambault was the family seat of the Dukes of Bourbon who ruled France in the sixteenth century. It is a spa town famous for its ruined castle.
Neris les Bains has been a spa town since the sixteenth century and its history even goes back to Roman times. Famous in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries for its casino, and theatre as well as its baths.
The Gorges du Cher, 10km south of Montlucon provide a bucolic spot for ramblers and hikers. The deep gorge carries the river northwards from its source in the Auvergne.
Souvigny is another town closely linked with the Bourbons, The priory church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul shelters the remains of two eponymous saints, both buried in the same tomb, and is the necropolis of the dukes of Bourbon.
Chateaumeillant is the nearest wine growing region to Herisson and produces wines typical of the Central Loire area, typically using Gamay and Pinot Noir.
Moulins is the capital of the Allier department and Among its many tourist attractions are the Maison Mantin, the Anne de Beaujeu Museum and The National Centre of Costume and Scenography.
St Pourcain has over 600 hectares of wines, having obtained AOC status in 2009. The grape varieties used are Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Tresallier for white and Gamay and Pinot Noir for red wines.
The Arboretum de balaines was created in 1804 by Aglaé Adanson, daughter of naturalist Michel Adanson, as an English-style park surrounding a mansion inherited from a family friend.
Apremont sur Allier is one of the “Plus beaux villages de France” and has a museum in the grounds of the castle as well as an important church.
Another “Plus beaux villages de France”, Charroux has an interesting church as well as many other historic buildings.
Bourges has a long tradition of art and history. Apart from the cathedral, other sites of importance include the 15th-century Palais Jacques Cœur and a sixty-five-hectare district of half-timbered houses and fine town-houses.
George Sand was born in Paris and was raised for much of her childhood by her grandmother Marie-Aurore de Saxe, Madame Dupin de Francueil, at her grandmother’s house in the village of Nohant. The house is open to the public.
Vierzon has theatres, museums and gardens to visit. Situated on the Canal du Berry it prospered in the 19th century for the trade it brought and became an important industrial town.
Masgot is adorned by remarkable granite sculptures representing a variety of figures and animals which are the work of the 19th century peasant carver Michaud.
Issoudun has been visited by Richard the Lionheart and Honoré de Balzac. Visits to the museums, parks and the White Tower are all recommended.
Vichy is a Great Spa Town of Europe and is notorious as the seat of the Free French government in WW2. It has an opera house, much architecture to admire, and reflects the popularity of the thermal baths which were supposed to have miraculous qualities.
