Charroux, the fortified village the Allier kept for its mustard

Charroux doesn't announce itself from afar: it's a small village in the Allier department, about 20 km northwest of Vichy, that for centuries counted for far more than its current 335 residents suggest. From the 12th to the 16th century it was a fortified chartered town, built by the lords of Bourbon, with a Templar commandery and a monastery of the Order of Saint Anthony, later run by Benedictine nuns. What remains are inner ramparts, defensive towers, and a 14th-century half-timbered house that has come through the centuries largely unchanged.

The 12th-century Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste is recognisable by its truncated bell tower, left that way more for lack of funds than by aesthetic choice — but it's become one of the village's signature silhouettes. Since the 18th century, Charroux has also been known for its handmade mustard, a specialty that has survived where many other small rural trades have vanished. The village is part of the Plus Beaux Villages de France network, a label that here hasn't disrupted the unhurried pace of the cobbled lanes.

How to get there

There's no train station in Charroux itself: the nearest is in Vichy, about 21 km away, on a regional line well connected to Clermont-Ferrand and Paris. Vichy-Charmeil Airport, close by, is a modest facility geared more toward light aviation than commercial flights — for international travel, Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport is the nearest real option. By car, the village is easily reached via the departmental roads crossing the Bourbonnais countryside.