Something's Vichy

The Plaza is one of the grand hotels in Vichy.

Vichy is the last stop on our recent trip to the Grand Est region of France. Before our visit, I associated this city with three things: being the center of government for Nazi-occupied France during World War II, its water, and the unpleasant (to me) little candy known as Vichy pastilles. What I didn't know beforehand is that Vichy is an elegant little city, dotted with remarkable 19th-century villas and featuring a splendid park along the Allier River that serves as a recreational hub for residents and visitors.

Our 24 hours here doesn't allow time for a visit to one of Vichy's famous spas, but we have plenty of time to explore the city on foot and on a small tourist train.

A covered walkway in Vichy's Parc des Sources
harkens back to the Belle Époque period.

The Tourism Office is located in the Parc des Sources. The park, established in 1730, was designed as a place for spa visitors to take restorative strolls. After Napoleon III arrived in Vichy in the 1860s, the park and the city beyond became a beacon for the Belle Époque, the era of France's Third Republic, which lasted until World War I. Napoleon III's influence is seen throughout Vichy in its buildings including the Palais des Congrès-Opéra de Vichy, which originally was a casino. It was during this fashionable period that Vichy was called Reine des Villes d’Eaux — Queen of the Water Towns.

The Vichy Opera House is the only opera house in France
designed in the Art Nouveau style.

We step inside the Hall des Sources at the northern end of the park. Here, we help ourselves to some free Célestins mineral spring water (I had smartly brought along an empty water bottle). Some of the Hall is only accessible to paying guests, but we are able to get a close-up look of a thermal hot spring.

Help yourself to mineral water inside the Hall des Sources in Vichy.

A thermal hot spring bubbles inside the Hall des Sources in Vichy.

After two weeks of exploring new places on foot, we decide to take one of those tiny tourist trains to see the city highlights. The tour commentary is in French, but we are provided with a written guide in English. After lunch, we set off walking for closer looks at some of the sites.

Vichy's Monument aux Morts honors the city's fallen soldiers.

I fancy this architectural detail of the Vichy Opera House.

One such landmark is Église Saint-Blaise, a somber-looking 17th-century church that contains surprises: colorful Art Deco style mosaics, columns and stained glass, all of which were added in the 1930s.

The ceiling of Église Saint-Blaise in Vichy was redesigned in the Art Deco style
in the 1930s.

I do not intend to gloss over the dark and complex history of Vichy during WWII, however it is not something that is front and center to the casual visitor. What is notable are landmarks honoring America: Vichy's main shopping street is Rue de President Wilson; Boulevard des Etats-Unis is a wide tony thoroughfare with grand spas; and Parc Kennedy is a beautiful shady section of the city's riverside park.

Opulent architecture including palaces and spas line Boulevard des
Etats-Unis in Vichy.

 

The Napoleon and Kennedy parks are set aside the Allier River in Vichy.
Cross the bridge and you'll find a recreational playground with tennis courts,
beaches and golf courses.

With its central location in France's Auvergne region, I'm confident we will find ourselves back in Vichy again. Next time, I'll be ready to delve deeper into the city's history — both the beautiful and the dark — and then perhaps indulge in a little spa treatment — I call it hands-on research.