Vichy
A World Famous Spa Town
Vichy is a pleasant small town on the banks the River Allier and is nowadays known as a world-famous spa town recognised as such in 2021 by UNESCO as one of the ‘Great Spa Towns of Europe’.
In Roman times Vichy was a minor spa town which declined during the Middle Ages. It experienced something of a revival during the reign of Henry IV and began to flourish during the late 17th Century when the letter writer Madame de Sévigné stayed here.
Centre thermal des Dômes Fresko "La Source"
Later, visits by Napoleon III in the 1860s established Vichy as a top spa town.
Vichy France
In July 1940 Vichy was chosen by the Nazi Collaborationist Government of Marshall Pétain as their capital and remained so until August 1944. This episode damaged its reputation and it took till the 1960s to re-establish itself .
The architecture of Vichy is often described as eclectic and this is typified by two churches joined together. St-Blaise, built during the late 17th century, connects with the Art Deco Nôtre-Dame des Malades of 1931. Check out also the florid architecture of the Grand Casino (1865), the Galerie Napoléon (1867) bordered by the Parc des Sources and the Grand Établissement Thermal (1900).