Allier: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

The Allier River is described as being 420 kilometres long and as one of the last wild rivers in Europe. Together with gorges, forests, moors and historic sites, it shapes the character of the département. Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Allier can then continue searching for accommodation.

Landscape

The gorges of the Sioule, the Bouble and the Haut Cher are described as preserved natural areas with steep slopes and rocky cliffs. Rich flora grows in the moors of the Montagne bourbonnaise, including the rare Andromeda and sundew. Allier has 18 supervised Espaces naturels sensibles; most are open to the public for independent exploration.

Les Gorges de la Bouble is a nature site managed by the département in Chantelle and Deneuille-les-Chantelle. The valleys of the Allier and Loire are home to meanders, side channels, pebble and sandy beaches, islands and floodplain forests. The gorges are home to rare species and provide a habitat for trout and grayling, which are also fished there.

The Tronçais Forest is the largest of Allier’s state-owned forests and is described as Europe’s first oak forest; its trees reach a height of 30 metres. Le Vallon du Barbenan is a nature site where a mountain stream originates; it features rapids, cascades, ecological diversity and different habitats.

Culture and history

The Musée Anne-de-Beaujeu is located in a pavilion of a ducal palace, which is described as one of the first examples of French Renaissance architecture and decoration. The collection comprises around 20,000 objects from art, archaeology and natural history. In Moulins, the Tour de l’Horloge dite Jacquemart was completed in 1408.

Charroux is the only village in Allier with the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France label. Souvigny was one of Cluny’s five daughter sites and developed around the tombs of Saint Mayeul and Saint Odilon into one of the important pilgrimage sites of the Western world. Vichy is one of the eleven European spa towns included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site The Great Spa Towns of Europe.

Allier has three Bourbonnais thermal resorts: Bourbon-l’Archambault, Néris-les-Bains and Vichy. Examples of Allier’s culinary traditions include pâté aux pommes de terre and pompe aux grattons. At the Salon de l’Agriculture 2025, Charolais beef, wines and honey were presented.

Activities

The département’s Espaces naturels sensibles enable hiking, cycling, mountain biking, climbing, canoeing, paragliding and fishing. The Allier PDIPR is a directory of rural paths intended for hiking and other forms of gentle mobility; it supports permanently established routes and organised hikes.

The Route Cœur de France à vélo connects Tours and Montluçon over 330 kilometres; 80 percent of the route is secured. Le PAL combines an amusement park and a wildlife park across 40 hectares of nature. Paléopolis is a theme park dedicated to dinosaurs and palaeontology, featuring exhibitions and activities for families.

Getting there and places

Moulins-sur-Allier is served by Intercités trains on the Paris-Bercy–Clermont-Ferrand route. Moulins station is approximately 800 metres from the tourist office and the historic centre. Visitor access to the Forêt de Tronçais is organised around five central visitor centres.

Other places in Allier include Bessay-Sur-Allier, Cerilly, Chavenon, Commentry, Murat, Saint-Germain-De-Salles, Saint-Nicolas-Des-Biefs, Saint-Prix, Jaligny-Sur-Besbre, Marigny, Saulcet, Lurcy Lévis, Ygrande, Vichy, Varennes-Sur-Allier, Trévol, Néris-Les-Bains, Montluçon, Monestier, Châtillon, Châteaugay, Bourbon-Lʼarchambault, Bellerive-Sur-Allier, Avermes, La Guillermie, Moulins, Charmes, Lapalisse, Prémilhat, Vaumas, Vieure, Vaux, Yzeure, Chamblet, Busset, Saint-Victor, Le Veurdre, Andelaroche, Verneix, Châtel-Montagne, Château-Sur-Allier, Estivareilles, Ronnet, La Chabanne, Saint-Gérand-Le-Puy, La Ferté-Hauterive, Tronget, Neure, Desertines, Saint-Désiré.

Coulandon, Louchy-Montfand, Paray-Le-Frésil, Braize, Lavoine, Couleuvre, Barrais-Bussolles, Autry-Issards, Huriel, Doyet, Bayet, Bressolles, Gannay-Sur-Loire, Agonges, Toulon-Sur-Allier, Valignat, Loriges, Meaulne, Saint-Menoux, Lusigny, Saint-Pourçain-Sur-Sioule, Laprugne, Isle-Et-Bardais, Saint-Rémy-En-Rollat, Montmarault, Mariol, Durdat-Larequille, Ébreuil, Charroux, Vicq, Target, Chazemais, Treteau, Lignerolles, Bézenet, Coutansouze, Paray-Sous-Briailles, Vernusse, Villeneuve-Sur-Allier, Buxières-Les-Mines, Hauterive, Le Mayet-De-Montagne, Montaigu-Le-Blin, Poëzat, Arfeuilles, Gannat, Isserpent, Voussac, Hérisson, Dompierre-Sur-Besbre.

Saint-Hilaire, Gennetines, Nades, Chouvigny, Chassenard, Audes, Billy, Boucé, Espinasse-Vozelle, Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais, Châtelus, Bert, Beaulon, Treban, Cusset, Vendat, Lavault-Sainte-Anne, Vallon-En-Sully, Cindré, Saint-Plaisir, Neuilly-le-Réal, Monétay-sur-Allier, Contigny, Chantelle, Domérat, Ainay-le-Château, Sanssat, Ferrières-sur-Sichon, Marcillat-en-Combraille, Thionne, Deneuille-les-Mines, Mercy, Meillard, Souvigny, Saint-Léopardin-d'Augy, Le Vernet, Givarlais, Cosne-d'Allier, Lalizolle, Serbannes, Montbeugny, Mazirat, Villebret, Besson, Saligny-sur-Roudon, Mesples, Treignat, Beaune-d'Allier, Sainte-Thérence.

The place pages lead from this overview to the individual destinations in Allier.

To the higher-level travel overview: Auvergne.