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 The
capital of the Bourbonnais -
It is in the heart of a space delimited by Moulins, Souvigny and Bourbon L'Archambault that the Sires of Bourbon built their duchy, and reigned supreme for nearly 7 centuries. Capital of this former state, place of residence and government, Moulins, located on the banks of the Allier river, is the historical heart of Bourbonnais and the shelter of exceptional vestiges of the time, where a splendid and cosmopolitan court gathered musicians, painters and poets. Moulins is today the prefecture of the department of Allier and has succeeded in keeping its role of historical, political and now cultural capital thanks to the coming creation of a National Centre of Stage Costume (Centre National du Costume de Scène), a must in the domain of show art.
The cradle of the Bourbonnais and its
historical richness - The "moulinois" land (from Moulins)
offers an exceptional density of castles, old residences and Romanesque
churches. Listed "Ville d'Art et d'Histoire" (Art and History
town), Moulins invites you along a pedestrian route to go
for a walk through time. You will discover its charming private
hotels, its now famous "messy-haired" (la mal coiffée), its
former flamboyant collegiate church, which shelters the triptych
of "Maître de Moulins", a masterpiece of the French gothic
painting. By going further in the surrounding areas, you will
have the possibility to discover numerous historical spots,
among them, the legendary "débredinoir" of Saint-Menoux is
quite surprising as legend tells that a simple-minded could
recover his sanity by passing his head through it. Any takers
?
Following the river Allier -
The thousand-faced river, which is tumultuous when it gets into the Auvergne and become more docile when it gets under the arches of the Régemortes bridge, in the outskirts of Moulins. You will have the possibility to stroll along its shaded banks and birds’ fanciers will appreciate the extraordinary abundance of species that are present in the Val d’Allier. In fact, there are even more different kinds of birds than in the region of Camargue. A haven of peace open to all walkers.
Sportive escape in the gorges of the Sioule river - It
is near Saint-Pourçain where the Allier river joins the Sioule river and
its superb gorges, the link between Bourbonnais and Auvergne.
A real paradise for trout fly-fishermen, the river is
also, around Chouvigny, the ideal
place for every climbing lover. With its famous Roc Armand,
especially adapted for climbers. From sunny rocks to vertiginous
faces, you will reach the
trees of the Adventure Park of Ebreuil. Great feelings of
altitude.
 Flavours
of the Bourbonnais - Flagship of the Maison Déret, the Cérilly
cheese is the result of an 85-year-old experience born at
the edge of the forest of Tronçais. If you begin to catch a scent of mustard,
it means that you are in Charroux, one of the most beautiful
villages of France,
which is famous for its mustard crushed with a stony grindstone.
In the heart of Bourbonnais, you will appreciate its flavour
with a tasty and authentic
piece of Charolais beef, the jewel of the quality cattle
breeding of the Bourbonnais. And Bourbonnais gastronomy also
have many flavours in store
like the traditional "pâté de pommes de terre" (potatoes pie) which is the
king among them, it is sold every Friday by every baker in
the region.
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