Vichy: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 62 - 88 Les Nations
 Les Nations is located just 5 minutes walk from the centre of Vichy, between the historic centre and the Napolean gardens. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi… MoreEUR 65 - 120 Kyriad Vichy
 This Kyriad has a sauna, jacuzzi and fitness room available to all guests. Located in central Vichy, each air-conditioned guestroom has free Wi-Fi, LC… MoreEUR 42 - 80 Inter-Hotel La Plage
 Ideally located near the beautiful Lake Allier, 500 metres from the centre of Vichy, La Plage offers comfortable rooms with free Wi-Fi internet access… MoreEUR 75 - 122 Hotel Vichy Thermalia
 Guests at the Thermalia, a quick walk from Vichy centre and surrounded by a beautiful garden, can unwind in the hotels spa and then enjoy regional spe… MoreEUR 58 - 89 Logis Chambord
 Set in the heart of Vichy, Logis Chambord offers a warm and friendly welcome in a hotel run by the same family for the past 70 years.
The hotel offer… MoreEUR 60 - 85 Logis Le Midland
 At the heart of the thermal spa resort, close to the town centre, the parks and the Congress Palace, the midland hotel** Logis de France, a hotel dati… MoreEUR 161 - 500 Vichy Spa Hotel Les Celestins
 Vichy Spa Hotel Les Célestins is located in the historic Napoléon III Park, in a charming Belle Epoque spa town. It offers 4-star service and facili… MoreEUR 49 - 75 Trianon
 A very good value for this charming city centre hotel that entirely is non smoking. Catherine and Alain will welcome you all year round to their calm … MoreEUR 150 - 180 Maison Decoret
 This design hotel is the perfect place to stay for food lovers. Sample culinary perfection in the gastronomic restaurant and take a cooking course fro… MoreEUR 30 - 75 Hotel Moderne
 Ideally situated in the heart of Vichy, near the parks, thermal spas and casinos, the Hotel Moderne welcomes you in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
T… MoreEUR 35 - 68 Hotel du Rhône
 The Hotel Du Rhône is in a convenient location near the centre of Vichy with secure parking nearby. It offers a tasty breakfast, free Wi-Fi, and frie… MoreEUR 42 - 79 Castel Louis
 The hotel is ideally located in the city centre of Vichy not far from the thermes and parks. Castel Louis offers a warm and friendly welcome.
Castel … MoreEUR 38 - 80 California
 The family-run Hotel California is situated in the city centre of Vichy, a charming spa and resort town in the Auvergne region of central France.
Gue… MoreEUR 49 - 78 Arverna Hotel
 The Arverna hotel is located in the heart of the spa-town Vichy, a short walk from the Opera and the congress centre. It offers free Wi-Fi internet ac… MoreEUR 42 - 80 Hôtel de Biarritz
 The Hotel de Biarritz is situated in a quiet street in the centre of Vichy. It offers rooms with flat-screen satellite TVs and free Wi-Fi internet acc… MoreEUR 57 - 92 Hôtel de Grignan
 Hôtel de Grignan is located in a quiet area of Old Vichy. It offers quiet and comfortable guestrooms for up to 4 guests.
All of the rooms have a pri… MoreEUR 42 - 51 Hotel De Naples
 Hotel de Naples is located in the heart of Vichy. It has rooms with free Wi-Fi, cable TV and a balcony overlooking the street. The hotel also offers f… MoreEUR 105 - 260 Hotel Aletti Palace
 Boasting a central situation in the heart of Vichy, Aletti Palace welcomes you in a stunning Art Deco setting, opposite Vichy Congres Opéra.
Stay in… MoreEUR 35 - 150 Hôtel Nice Flore
 Located at the heart of Vichy, this charming hotel offers a fitness centre and spacious guestrooms. It is just a short distance from the Callou spa ce… MoreEUR 40 - 68 Ariane
 Ariane is ideally located in the centre of Vichy, just a 5-minute walk from the train station, shops, casino, cinemas and thermal spas.
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Vichy: Guide
For other uses, see Vichy (disambiguation).
Vichy (commune, situated in the région of Auvergne (région)|Auvergne. It is known as a Spa town|spa and resort town. The inhabitants are known as Vichyssois. It was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944. It has a population of 78,000 (1999).
Geography
Vichy lies on the banks of the Allier River. The source of the Allier is in the nearby Massif Central Mountain range which lies only a few miles to the south, near the region's capital Clermont-Ferrand. Heavy snows in the Massif Central often make roads impassable, but Vichy is low enough at 817 feet that climate is more Continental climate|Continental. Rainfall is moderate, averaging 30 inches annually.
Although the historical existence of volcanic activity in the Massif Central is more visually evident, such as in the towns of Le Puy-en-Velay, volcanic activity is the direct cause of the many thermal springs that exist in Vichy.
History
Roman Era
In 52 B.C., on returning from their defeat at the Allier). These Roman settlers had acknowledged the therapeutic value of the spring (hydrosphere)|Springs in the area and were eager to exploit them. During the first two centuries AD, Vichy was very prosperous because of these thermal springs.
At the end of the 3rd century, the Roman Emperor Diocletian undertook a vast administrative reorganization and land-survey. At that time the place name VIPIACUS first appeared (name of an agricultural field belonging to a certain VIPIUS) which, by phonetic evolution, became VICHIACUS, then VICHIET or VICHIER, and hence VICHY.
Middle Ages
On September 2, 1344, John II of France|Jean II ceded the noble fiefdom of Vichy to Peter I, Duke of Bourbon|Duke Pierre I of Bourbon. On December 6, 1374, the last part of Vichy was acquired by Louis II, Duke of Bourbon. At that point Vichy was incorporated into the House of Bourbon. In 1410, a Celestinian monastery was founded with twelve monks. A building located above the Celestinian Spring is still visible.
In 1527, the House of Bourbon was incorporated into the French Kingdom. By the end of the 16th century, the mineral baths had obtained a reputation for having quasi-miraculous curing powers and attracted patients from the noble and wealthy classes. Government officials, such as Fouet and Chomel, began to classify the curing properties of the mineral baths.
Vichy's Thermal Baths - path to notoriety
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné|The marquise de Sévigné, was a patient in 1676 and 1677 and would popularize Vichy's Thermal Baths through the written descriptions in her letters. The Vichy waters were said to have cured the paralysis in her hands, thus enabling her to take up the letter-writing for which she is most famous. In 1761 and 1762, Marie Adélaïde, Madame Quatrième|Adélaïde and Victoire of France, the daughters of Louis XV of France|Louis XV, came to Vichy for the first time and returned in 1785. The Bath facilities seemed extremely uncomfortable to them because of the muddy surroundings and insufficient access. When they returned to Versailles, they asked their nephew Louis XVI to build roomier and more luxurious thermal baths, which were subsequently completed in 1787.
In 1799, Letizia Ramolino|Laetitia Bonaparte, mother of Napoleon, came to be cured with her son Louis Bonaparte|Louis. Under the Empire, Le Parque des Sources was arranged under the Emperor's orders. (Decree of Gumbinen of 1812).
Under Charles X, the great increase in patients wishing to be healed at the springs led to an expansion of the Hydrotherapy|Hydrotheraputic facilities. Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France|Princess Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte expanded the Janson buildings under the plan of Rose - Beauvais (work completed in 1830.) From 1844 to 1853, theatrical and poetry recitals were performed for the wealthy in the comfort of their own homes by Isaac Strauss.
Vichy in Style
By the 19th century, Vichy was a station à la mode, attended by the many celebrities. But the stays of Napoleon III between 1861 and 1866 were to cause the most profound transformation of the city: dykes were built along the Allier river, 13 hectares (33 acres) of landscaped gardens replaced the old marshes, and along the newly laid out boulevards and streets, chalets and pavillions were built for the Emperor and his court. Recreational pursuits were not spared: in view of the Park, a large casino was built by the architect Badger in 1865. The emperor would be the catalyst of the development of a small rail station which multiplied the number of inhabitants and visitors by ten in fifty years.
After the World Fair of 1889. 700 meters (2,300 feet) long, it is decorated by a and was completed by the ironworker Emile Robert. Many private mansions with varied architectural styles were erected during the first half of the 20th century.
Vichy welcomed 40,000 curistes in 1900 and nearly 100,000 on just before the onset of the First World War. The thermal life had its apex in the Thirties. The success in treating health ailements attributed to the Vichy Baths led la Compagnie Fermière to enlarge the Baths again by creating the Callou and Lardy Baths. The Art Nouveau-style Opera, inaugurated in 1903, accommodated all the great names of the international scenes. Vichy became the summertime music capital of France, but the war of 1914 would put a brutal end to this development.
Vichy France - Seat of the État Français, the Nazi collaborationist Government
Following the armistice signed on June 22, 1940, the zone which was not occupied by the Germans took the name of the Vichy France|French State (État Français) (as opposed to the traditional name, République française or French Republic ) and set up its capital in Vichy on July 1, because of the town's relative proximity to Paris (4.5 hours by train) and because it was the city with the second largest hotel capacity at the time. Moreover, the existence of an ultramodern telephone exchange (the current hotel had only been built in 1935) made it possible to reach the whole world by a phone call.
On the first of July, the government took possession of many hotels. 600 members of Parliament (Appointed members and Senators) would join Vichy for the meeting of the Chambers. On the 9th and 10th, in the room of the Opera, the members of Parliament voted for the end of the French Third Republic|Third Republic. The republican system was abolished, and the French State, with Philippe Pétain at its helm as Head of State replaced it. Only 80 of the 600 members of Parliament voiced their opposition. Starting from this date, Vichy would be, for more than four years, the capital of the French State. This government is often called the Vichy Regime. The preferred term is "Pétainist Regime" or "Regime of the French State." The term "Vichyste," which designates partisans of this regime, should not be confused with "Vichyssois" which designates the inhabitants of the city. The Vichy fascists also signed a decree outlawing rugby league in Vichy.
Reine des villes d'eaux
The Fifties and Sixties would be the most ostentatious period for Vichy, complete with parading personalities, visits from crowned heads (T'hami El Glaoui|The Glaoui, the Pasha of Marrakech, Rainier III, Prince of Monaco|Prince Rainier of Monaco) and profits from the massive arrival of North African French clients, who holidayed in Vichy, having a lot of fun by getting dressed up and spending a lot. There were thirteen cinemas (which sometimes showed special previews), eight dance halls, and three theatres. It was at this period that the station would take the title of "Reine des villes d'eaux."
From June to September, so many French-Algerian tourists were arriving that it almost seemed like there was an airlift set up between Vichy-Charmeil and the aerodromes of Algeria. Mayor Pierre Coulon (1950-1967) decided to create Lake Allier (June 10, 1963) and Omnisports Park (1963-1968|68), giving the city its current look.
Decline
The Algerian War of Independence|war in Algeria, following decolonization, marked once again a brutal halt in prosperity for the city, which from then on had to deal with much less favorable conditions. The need to continue to pay the debts incurred by the considerable investments that had been made in happier times obliged the new mayor Jacques Lacarin(1967-1989), successor of Pierre Coulon, to adopt a much more careful policy of management.
Modern Revival
Claude Malhuret, former Minister of Human Rights, born in Strasbourg in 1950, has been mayor since 1989. He and Bernard Kouchner are the cofounders of Médecins Sans Frontières|Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières.) The City and its economic partners started and concluded an important program of restoration and modernization. These projects include:
Creation of vast pedestrian zone in the city center
a program of modernization
upgrading of hotels to the sector standards
rebuilding and restoration of the thermal baths
realization of a center for balneotherapy dedicated to wellbeing
development of the architectural heritage
realization of a center of congress within the old Casino
restoration of the Opera.
Administration
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Source: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/carteret/ Site essentiel sur la ville
Economy
The city has been known for its thermal cures since Roman times. Its waters are famous worldwide (coming from springs including Vichy Celestins and Vichy Saint-Yorre) but lozenges made from soda contained in the spring waters are also famous.
The health and beauty business, with the laboratories of the L'Oréal company, also make it possible to publicize the city's name to a worldwide audience under the Vichy brand. (This French website discusses .)
Unlike the neighboring communes on the Allier River|Allier, like industrial Montluçon and administrative seat Moulins, Vichy's economy is centered on the tertiary sector and aims at the development of the health and well-being sector to mitigate the decline of medical hydrotherapy. The local market, open Sunday, attracts purchasers from tens of kilometers around.
The closing of two important local employers, Manurhin and Sediver, threatens employment in the Vichy basin. Job creation by developing companies like NSE (electronics) or Satel (calls center) can't compensate for the removals of stations which will result from this, even if the tour operator on Internet Karavel (promovacances.com) establishes a new calls center in May 2005, which should create 300 jobs over 3 years.
Nevertheless, the three most important employers of the city belong to the public sector: the hospital (1120 employees), the town hall (720) and the college of Presles (370).
Since 1989 Vichy has been one of the 7 sites of the
Pôle University and Lardy Technology, born from a project of thermal waste land rehabilitation and launched during the mid-nineties, is an economic priority. This 9,000 m² campus accommodates 600 students in the downtown area, in ten areas of study including the fields of biotechnology, international trade, multi-media and languages. The CAVILAM (Center of Live Approaches to Languages and the Media), created in Vichy in 1964, is now installed with Pôle-Lardy.
The Palace of the congresses is a venue primarily for the conferences of trade associations and learned societies. The structure is 1,800 m² large, including two plenary rooms and fifteen multi-use rooms. With 25,000 visitors yearly, the conferences must now carry the economic role once held by the hydrotherapy, which today counts only 12,000 patients each year. The hydrotherapy business will now have to reorganize itself to take a less strict therapeutic-only role, and reorient itself for patients' stays shorter than the traditional 3 weeks.
Current Building Projects
Currently, under the authority of the local communities, much work is being done on building sites and projects, which will deeply modify Vichy in the years to come. Some believe that construction by the Hotel of the Community of Agglomeration in September 2005 on the old site of the "Commercial City" may precede the total restoration of the market hall (which would cost €5.9 Million) which would be delivered in September 2006. Some also note the creation of a 12 000 m² mother-child center in the hospital complex, the restoration of the spa façade (removal of the metal boarding to uncover the original style of 1862), the transformation of the spa into a multi-use center, creation of parks with fountains in place of parking lots, the demolition and the transformation of the buildings in a congested area to create an enterprise center intended to create 800 jobs (opening of the site envisioned at the end of 2007), the construction of a new aquatic stadium including 5 basins (initially envisaged to cost €14.3 million but may end up costing €20 Million) whose delivery is envisaged with the autumn 2007, and finally motorway connection in 2011.
French website gives key economic figures for the Vichy area.
Miscellaneous
Births
Vichy was the birthplace of:
Valéry Larbaud (1881–1957), writer
Albert Londres (1884-1932), journalist
Twin towns
Vichy is twinned with:
Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Bad Tölz, Germany
Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Germany
Dunfermline, United Kingdom
Logroño, Spain
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
See also
Hydrotherapy
List of spa towns in France
Vichy France
Sources
Translated from the French-language page, 29 June 2006.
External links
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Vichy". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.