le lac d'Allier
Some placenames conjur up an image automatically – e.g. the Somme and World War One and Vichy, the ignominious seat of a disgraceful regime during the occupation of France by Hitler.
Yet get behind those images – and the Somme is a delightful landscape of rolling hills, sandy beaches and a haven for wildlife!
Similarly Vichy (03 Allier, Auvergne) is a pleasant and elegant spa town. It was apparently chosen by Marechal Petain as the seat of government because it had plenty of hotels which could be taken over for ministerial offices and accommodation for the bureaucrats.
It seems remarkably isolated compared to other cities in the so-called “free zone” – such as Lyon or Clermont Ferrand. And that situation, being off the major routes, makes it peaceful and relaxing.
The town possesses many fine hotels – and the Hotel de Ville – of the late 19th Century – but nowadays there are plenty of modern buildings to house tourists or those who come for the beneficial effects of the Spa – Thermes – and the waterfront alongside the river/lake (the Allier) offer more energetic pursuits.
To reach Vichy from the north take the A77 autoroute to Nevers and Moulins and beyond.
There is a train service direct from Paris Gare de Lyon – you can book tickets from London and the UK with RailEurope
Hotel de Ville, Vichy
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The locals are called Vichyssoises – also the name given to a classic cold leek and potato soup – so-named by the creative chef who lived near Vichy. Also known for Vicy Water – an effervescent mineral water which has been bottled in the region for many years.
