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Château de Champlong Triumphs again in the Roannais.
After yet another visit to Château de Champlong, this time as part of a business club reunion evening meal, a triumph of excellent cuisine by Olivier Boizet was once again experienced gladly by all!
The Château de Champlong, located right in the heart of the Roannais region, is set in lush green countryside.
This charming 17th century mansion, converted into a château in the 18th century and refurbished throughout by its owners, restaurateurs proud of their native region, offers the unique combination of a warm family atmosphere and a restaurant renowned throughout the entire region.
Supported by their dynamic team, Véronique and Olivier Boizet’s hospitality is welcoming and personalised: the art of hospitality Roannais-style!
Olivier Boizet has a passion for flavour and respects his ingredients; his cuisine is modelled on what he himself likes to eat: gourmet food, an author’s cuisine, created in harmony with the seasons.
A cuisine which is up-to-date but not based on passing fads, contemporary but with no fashionable flourishes. Creativity at its essence, and a sense of flavour.
He is in a region where the soil is rich and he has special relationships with all his suppliers who are often small producers.
Olivier is inspired by seasonal change and reinvents French-inspired dishes, allowing the ingredients to express every one of their subtle nuances.
“Vive la Château de Champlong”
Vichy’s amazing attractions near the Roannais.
Vichy is one of France’s foremost spas which shot to fame in the 1860s when Napoleon III started taking the waters.
Its sulphurous springs are said to cure rheumatism, arthritis and all manner of digestive disorders.
As a result, a large number of elderly, genteel French citizens holiday here.
The town retains a real ‘fin-de-siecle’ charm.
The grand old Thermal Establishment built in 1900 has now been transformed into a shopping mall and the Parc des Sources has a delightful bandstand where afternoon concerts are played.
To the north of the park you’ll find the focal point, Le Palais – an iron-framed greenhouse where people sit, read & chat. If you want to sample the waters yourself head to the beautiful bronze taps called the Célestin on boulevard du President Kennedy (the only spring that is widely bottled and drunk).
For those looking for more active pursuits head down to the lake which has become a centre for all sorts of sports and special events.
Historians among you will find little of Vichy’s World War past and in particular Pétain’s role in aiding and abetting Nazi Germany – this seems to have been carefully concealed with the old government seat now an anonymous building.
There many attractions such as:
Château de Cordes
approx 3km North of Vichy.
A 17th century château with French style gardens.
Riom
15km north of Clermont-Ferrand
Step back in time to the Middle Ages in the ancient capital of the Auvergne.
Salle d’Opera
rue du Casino, Vichy.
Operas, concerts, dance performances staged here
Historical Tours
Tourist Office, 19 rue du Parc, Vichy 03200
Discover the history of Second Empire Vichy and WWII on this fascinating walking tour.
| Admission charge | Opening Times: Mid-Jun to Mid-Sep | Tel: +33 (0)4 70 98 71 94
Thermal Baths
Les Celestins, 111 blvd des Etats-Unis, Vichy.
Beauty, massage, slimming & fitness programmes
Admission charge | Opening Times: Daily apart from Sun pm | Tel: +33 (0)4 70 30 82 00
Hippodrome
Bellerive Bank, Vichy.
one of France’s most prestigious racecourses
Admission charge | Opening Times: May – Sep | Tel: +33 (0)4 70 32 47 00
Musee d’Art Roger Quilliot
Place Louis Deteix, Clermont-Ferrand.
superb art museum with sculpture, paintings through the ages
Admission charge | Opening Times: Tue-Sun | Tel: +33 (0)4 73 16 11 30
Musee de Vichy
15 rue du Marechal Foch, Vichy.
Houses a collection paintings, sculpture a few telegrams sent by Petain after 1940
Opening Times: Tue-Sun (14h00-18h00) | Tel: +33 (0)4 70 32 12 97
Musee Lecoq
15 rue Bardoux, Clermont-Ferrand 63000
an impressive natural history museum
Admission charge | Opening Times: Apr-Sep: Mon-Sat; Oct-Apr:pms; Sun year round | Tel: +33 (0)4 73 91 93 78
Musee Bargoin
45 rue Ballainvilliers, Clermont-Ferrand.
Gallo-Romain artefacts to be discovered here
Admission charge | Opening Times: Tue-Sun | Tel: +33 (0)4 73 91 37 31
Eglise St-Blaise
rue de la Tour, Vichy.
Art-deco style church built between 1925 and 1936
The Medieval Village of Le Crozet in the Roannais.
We visit the beautiful village of ‘Le Crozet’ once again!
Only 20 minutes, or so, from Roanne, up the famous ‘Nationale Sept’ autoroute, nestled at the far end of the Monts de la Madeleine, in the Côte Roannaise you arrive at this gem of a medieval village with a colorful history.
A surprise and a delight is in store for anybody who makes the effort to visit this place.
As you climb up from Pacaudiere along the lush country lanes, you enter this once important, busy, fortified hill village, sleepily lying within the folds of the hillside with the plain of the River La Loire stretching out below.
The Views are stunning, especially when you climb ‘The Keep’.
This tower was originally built in the 12th century by the viscounts of Mâcon, and stands about 12 metres high.
It is topped by a bell tower or turret, because the old church had no steeple, and, therefore, no bells.
From the esplanade which lies at the foot of ‘The Keep’, on a clear day you can see as far as the Morvan and Beaujolais mountains, and the town of Tarare.
We peeped into the so-called ‘new’ church which stands beside ‘The keep’, and was constructed in 1862 on the site of the original castle, and discovered that preparations were being made for a wedding the following day – what a magical setting!
We then headed down to the museum, housed in a 15th century building, also with a tower.
This little museum offers a wonderful insight into village life during the 1900’s, and is full of local information and artefacts.
When you enter the various rooms of this museum you are in a different world – different era, a bygone age, of course. There is even Le Crozet’s original blacksmith’s, complete with furnace, bellows and tools. In another room you have a fascinating display of carpenter tools, particularly ones used for the making of clogs or ‘sabots).
Above all, however, it was the collection of old-framed maps through the centuries and fantastic photographs that kept us enthralled.
There are also original deeds of purchase from the village, some dating back to the 15th century, along with books and local records through the ages.
The whole village is so pretty, especially in the summer with an abundance of flowers everywhere.
The exceptional medieval wonder of Le Crozet is superb, particularly on a sunny day, as this was, when the sunlight emphasises the colours, structures, and textures of the ancient buildings – all with secret histories hidden behind their medieval walls.
It is a simply beautiful and fascinating place.
As you wander through the tiny streets there are stunning buildings round every corner, oozing history.
Although many of its buildings have been carefully and beautifully renovated, there are still one or two that are crying out for a little ‘TLC’, and are definite renovation opportunities – very tempting!!
However, Le Crozet is not just a ‘showpiece’ ‘museum’ of a village, it is a living, breathing, lively community.
A community of probably many related families of the past whose heritage is being carefully and sympathetically preserved.
Well worth a good stroll around when you visit the Roannais.
Also take a look at our other ‘Blogs’ for more information about the Roannais, Rhône-Alpes region, and visit our Purefrancenow Escape Days for a special trip to Le Crozet, canal ride, and traditional restaurant.