Yssingeaux: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Yssingeaux connects paths through the Sucs with historic sites and unusual cultural attractions. From the summit of Saint-Roch, the view extends over the surrounding Sucs; there are also two orientation tables there. The Sucs around Yssingeaux offer hiking trails with views over the surrounding landscapes.

Anyone planning a stay in Yssingeaux can rent a holiday apartment for this purpose.

Nature and Trails

The Saint-Roch walk connects the town centre, community gardens, Saint-Roch Hill, Ard’Huy, the Siaulme and the former tannery district. For cyclists, the section of the Via Fluvia between Yssingeaux and Raucoules covers 20.5 kilometres. In Yssingeaux, it begins at the Antreuil car park by the Gare Routière; the section is paved throughout and alternates between a cycle route and a greenway.

History and Culture

Yssingeaux Town Hall is a former episcopal castle that Jean de Bourbon had built towards the end of the 15th century and that the municipality acquired in 1807. It is located in the former summer residence of the bishops of Le Puy.

La Grenette is a former grain hall dating from the mid-19th century. Today it houses a cinema, a media library and a Micro-Folie with a digital museum, video game area, virtual reality experience and content dedicated to interpreting the local heritage.

The “Flâneries Histoire & Patrimoine” tour presents the history of Yssingeaux using information panels and QR codes. The “Des empreintes dans la ville” game uses the free Baludik smartphone app to guide visitors through the history of Yssingeaux and to five symbolic roosters in the town.

The Chapelle Notre-Dame des Pénitents is a 17th-century chapel with Romanesque barrel vaults and an old tiled floor featuring a twelve-metre-long cross. The Église Saint-Pierre houses the painting “Les noces de Cana” by Jean Cotelle and was rebuilt in 1819 and 1827.

Museums and Special Places

The campus of the École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie in Yssingeaux is located in the Château de Montbarnier. The École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie was founded in 1984. Its open days include a campus visit, discussions with teachers and students, and insights into the practical training provided in the laboratories.

In addition to its permanent exhibition, the Musée d'Arts et Traditions Populaires regularly presents temporary exhibitions. An individual visit takes approximately 60 minutes on average. The Musée Saint-Roch is housed in the former chapel of the Yssingeaux hospital.

In Versilhac near Yssingeaux, the Church of the Immaculate Conception contains contemporary stained-glass windows and concrete sculptures by Jean-Paul Six. Guided tours are offered there in September on the occasion of the European Heritage Days and by prior arrangement. The Musée d'Arts et Traditions Populaires in Versilhac reconstructs rural life at the beginning of the 20th century through exhibitions, including crafts, festivals and a school.

Culinary Specialities

Brioche d’Yssingeaux was created in 1866 and is made with wheat flour, butter, eggs, orange blossom water and finely chopped orange zest. Other regional specialities worth trying include Douceur des Sucs and Saussac.

Ferme de Treslemont sells dairy products made from cow’s and goat’s milk directly to customers, including yoghurt, faisselles and cheese. The small market of local producers in Yssingeaux was due to take place every Saturday from 11 July to 29 August, from 5 to 7 p.m., on Place Foch.

Getting There

Yssingeaux has a direct connection to the RN88. Regional bus route H30 connects Le Puy-en-Velay, Le Pertuis, Yssingeaux and Saint-Étienne.

Further destinations: Lavaudieu, Mazerat-Aurouze, Cussac-Sur-Loire, Loudes, Laval-sur-Doulon, Monlet, Vals-Près-Le-Puy, Freycenet-La-Cuche

To the higher-level travel overview: Haute-Loire.