Commented tour of the Medieval QuarterPlease refer to the schedule via the following link:
Departure : Tourism Office, Place de la Mairie, 71140 BOURBON-LANCY
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Price : €5 per adult – €2.50 for ages 7 to 18 – Free for children under 7
French visit
Hôpital d’Aligre et ancien Thermes
Please refer to the schedule via the following link
Departure : Place d’Aligre (Esplanade), Thermal District, 71140 BOURBON-LANCY
Duration : Approximately 2 hours
Price : €5 per adult – €2.50 for ages 7 to 18 – Free for children under 7
Includes a visit to the historic Thermal Baths and the Aligre Chapel.
French visit
Commented tour Church of Saint NazairePlease refer to the schedule via the following link:
Departure : Church Saint Nazaire, Rue du Musée, 71140 BOURBON-LANCY
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Price : €5 per adult – €2.50 for ages 7 to 18 – Free for children under 7
French visit
Commented tour of the Sacré Coeur ChurchPlease refer to the schedule via the following link:
Departure : Sacré Coeur Church, 71140 BOURBON-LANCY
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Price : €5 per adult – €2.50 for ages 7 to 18 – Free for children under 7
French visit
Vue de Bourbon-Lancy
Please refer to the schedule via the following link
Departure : Place d’Aligre (Esplanade), Thermal District, 71140 BOURBON-LANCY
Duration : Approximately 2 hours
Price : €5 per adult – €2.50 for ages 7 to 18 – Free for children under 7
Includes a visit to the historic Thermal Baths and the Aligre Chapel.
French visit
Intérieur Eglise-Musée Saint Nazaire
Please refer to the schedule via the following link
Departure :Tourisme Office, Place de la mairie, 71140 BOURBON-LANCY
Duration : Approximately 2 hours
Price : €5 per adult – €2.50 for ages 7 to 18 – Free for children under 7
Includes a visit to the historic Thermal Baths and the Aligre Chapel.
French visit
The old town of Bourbon-Lancy was built in the Middle Ages at the foot of the castle built by the first lord of Bourbon, Anseide.
Today, it remains a picturesque old quarter where the half-timbered houses and their cascades of flowers throughout the season offer passers-by the remarkable charm of this area.
From the “maison de bois” to the garden of the Collegiate Church, via the ruelle aux loups and the square of Madame de Genlis, the charm of these places steeped in history will not leave you indifferent.
Consult our brochure to find out more
The ramparts, which were no longer needed after the feudal period, were integrated into the properties that were built on one side on Chemin des Tours and on the other on Rue Notre-Dame.
The view from this walk along the ramparts is unchanged, and is almost the same as the view enjoyed by the lords of the castle and their sentries.
Discover the Remparts path, passing through Rue Notre-Dame, the ruelle aux loups, Place de l’Ermitage, Rue Pingré and the Town Hall.
Consult our brochure to find out more
The Belfry is now a listed monument and is home to the “Beurdin”, a colourful automaton that rings the bell every hour and sticks out its tongue at passers-by.
The work of the sculptor Georges Kirsch, this character, whose local name evokes a kind but rather simple man, symbolises the little people who lived in this part of the city until recently.
Discover the history of the beginning of the 20th century and meet the “Fratrie des Beurdins” during your visit.
Consult our brochure to find out more
The Belfry
This former main gate of the medieval walled city was inaugurated on Sunday 4 April 1389 by Philip II, then Duke of Burgundy, with his son John, who later became the famous “John the Fearless”, at his side. At the time, it was equipped with a drawbridge, the location of which can still be seen, as well as the passage of the chains. Behind it, a portcullis descended, and the whole was closed by a heavy wooden door. At the top of the tower, a lookout was placed to keep an eye on the surroundings. From the 16th century onwards, a clock was installed here, hence the name “clock tower”, still used by the inhabitants of the town.
The wooden house known as Maison Sévigné
This half-timbered house is also classified as a historical monument and dates from the beginning of the 16th century. It is said that Madame de Sevigne stayed here. The building had a second floor but in 1852 a fire destroyed the roof and the top floor.
The Collegiate Garden
This very pretty little formal garden was laid out on the site of a former collegiate church founded in 1495 by Guy de Salins, Lord of La Nocle. At the bottom of the garden stands a pink marble column of Roman origin. It is the largest remaining vestige of this period in Bourbon-Lancy.
Consult our brochure to find out more
Chateau Puzenat ©Laura Spérat
Hôtel de Ville et Eglise Sacré-Cœur ©Gérard Cimetière
The monuments in the town center of Bourbon-Lancy to discover:
– The Town Hall, built in the 18th century.
– The Puzenat and Sarrien Castles, former residences from the 18th and 19th centuries: only exterior visits are available.
Classified as a Cluniac site, its construction dates back to the end of the 10th century. It is one of the rare representatives of the early Romanesque style.
This monument, squat on the outside but of majestic proportions inside, was the church of a priory dependent on Cluny. The church was founded in 1030 by Anséide de Bourbon (the lord after whom the town is named).
The nave, with its panelled ceilings, represents one of the last testimonies of Carolingian type construction.
It is the only one of its kind in the world to have been built in the 19th century, and it was saved by Ferdinand Sarrien, the future President of the Council of the Third Republic and Mayor of Bourbon-Lancy.
Classified as a Historic Monument in 1893, it was then restored and became a Municipal Museum.
The European Federation of Cluniac Sites aims to bring together the places in Europe that contributed to the extraordinary influence of the Abbey of Cluny (Southern Burgundy) from the 10th to the 18th century! spiritual, artistic, economic, political and social influence. The monks of Cluny were responsible for the emergence of hundreds of towns and cities. Each of them is the holder of a piece of this unique European cultural heritage.
Built in the neo-Gothic style, it was constructed in 1881 and consecrated by Cardinal Perraud on October 20, 1896.
It stands on the site of the chapel and convent of the Ursulines, which, during the Revolution, was transformed into “public meeting halls” and later demolished. All that remains is the cross from the bell tower, which was placed on the road to Chalmoux, and the white stone altar donated to the Ursulines’ church by Louis and Pauline Pinot in 1857, now located in the current church.
The front of this altar is designed as an open triptych, with its hinges formed by tall columns topped with Corinthian capitals.
At the top of the altar runs the rampart of a city with its towers and battlements, representing the heavenly Jerusalem, the dwelling place of Christ and the saints.
The central panel, depicting the crowned Virgin with the Child, reflects the Ursulines’ devotion to Mary.
To her right is Saint John the Evangelist, the patron saint of the parish of Bourbon-Lancy since the 1990s.
To her left is Saint Joseph holding the flowering staff, a sign of his election as the spouse of Mary.
The two neighboring statues are Saint Louis, crowned, and Saint Paul, named after the donors.
On the two small panels are depicted Saint Celsus, holding the palm of martyrdom, and Saint Nazaire, the historical patron saint of Bourbon-Lancy and protector of Saint Celsus.
Two angels frame the triptych: the angel of the Word of God and the angel of the Eucharist, the two pillars of the Roman Catholic Mass rite, standing as if to support the priest in his office.
The painting on the right above the baptismal font is by Puvis de Chavannes, a relative of Madame Pinot, and was donated by her to the Ursulines’ convent.
On the left, *The Entombment of Christ* is a work by Merlette, dated 1889.
Hôpital d’Aligre et ancien Thermes
With its chapel and thermal establishment dating back to the 19th century, the hospital of Les Bains, founded by François Pingré de Farivilliers in 1697, was originally located in the former Visitation convent (now the Grand Hôtel). However, it quickly became too small.
In 1841, the Marquis and Marquise d’Aligre donated 100,000 francs (at the time) and several estates to the town of Bourbon-Lancy. After his wife’s passing in 1843, the marquis became increasingly involved in the town, particularly in ensuring that all residents had access to clean and safe water. He commissioned the construction of a fountain in Place Saint-Léger. Concerned with increasing the hospital’s capacity and improving the quality of care, he decided to build a new facility.
The marquis did not live to see the laying of the foundation stone, as he passed away in 1847 after drafting several wills and codicils, bequeathing the hospice to the town, an inheritance estimated at nearly four million francs at the time. In accordance with his wishes, the chapel was built first, as he intended it to be his final resting place.
For 150 years, the hospital has undergone multiple transformations and expansions while preserving the aesthetic of its original architecture.
Public health institution
Medical and social care sector, including medicine, convalescence (48 beds), and elderly accommodation (214 beds).
Neo-Gothic chapel located within the Aligre Hospital.
17th-century altar and pulpit. Former Bourbon-Lancy thermal baths.
La glacière du Fourneau
This hamlet, located 5 km from the city center in the direction of Moulins, lies on the banks of the Loire River.
La Glacière showcases the most significant machinery of an installation that, at the beginning of the 20th century, supplied ice blocks to hotels, restaurants, bars, butchers, charcuteries, and other establishments in the surrounding area.
The compressor was powered either by a water turbine or by a Winterthur coal gas engine. Out of use since 1936, this machine was brought out of obscurity 60 years later by a team of enthusiasts and is now on static display.
The Winterthur engine and the reconstructed framework are highly representative of the technology of the early 1900s.
Chapelle Saint Denis
The construction of the Chapelle Saint-Denis stemmed from the desire of the working community of the Puzenat factory after the war, particularly the significant group of Polish workers from the Forges, to have a place of worship near their workplace. Indeed, residents of the Saint-Denis or Fourneau neighborhoods had to travel between 2 and 4 kilometers to reach the Sacré-Cœur church.
At the initiative of the company, construction work began in 1950, with the nave’s framework completed in 1952 and the plastering in 1953. Due to the financial difficulties of the company, which was absorbed by Sevita-Simca, the construction was only finalized between 1955 and 1957. This chapel was entirely built, executed, and supervised by locals from Bourbonnais. The decoration was carried out by the young apprentices from the factory’s training school, who also crafted the chandeliers for the main altar. The chandeliers were made from decommissioned ceiling lights from the factory offices.
The Chapelle Saint-Denis was inaugurated on Sunday, March 2, 1958, by Bishop Lebrun in front of a large crowd. It features two bells: one named “Marie Claudien”, donated by the Puzenat factory, and the other, “Marie Bernard”, donated by the Sept-Fons Abbey. The absolutely remarkable stained-glass windows are the work of Émile Aebischer, known as “Yoki”, a world-renowned Swiss painter, stained-glass artist, mosaicist, and sculptor.
The chapel takes its name from Saint Denis, the patron saint of Paris and a martyr. A leper colony named Saint-Denis existed in the area in the 13th century, located on the outskirts of the town.
It is worth noting that the chapel is open:
Jardin of France perfume factoryA French and artisanal production made in the heart of the spa town of Bourbon-Lancy on the border of the Allier and Saône-et-Loire departments. On the site of an old soap factory, discover a precious universe: the creation of perfumes.
Proud of its authentic experience, the Manufacture de Parfums has been opening its doors to you for more than 3 years in order to share with you its most beautiful manufacturing secrets. You will also immerse yourself in the complementary activities which have also given rhythm to the day-to-day life of the JARDIN DE FRANCE Group for more than 10 years.
TOURS WITH GUIDE – BY RESERVATION ONLY
Thursday (except on public holidays and annual closures)
Start of the tour: 3pm
Duration: 1 hour (excluding shop area)
Jardin de France parfums
Price :
Full price (adult) : 5,00
Reduced rate (children from 7 to 18 years old, students, unavoidable 71…) : 4,00€
Free: children under 7 years old.
Reservation :
Manufacture de Parfums :
By phone: (+33)03 85 89 92 55 or by mail: tourisme@jardindefrance.fr
Office de Tourisme et du Thermalisme de Bourbon-Lancy :
By phone : 03 85 89 18 27 or by mail : tourisme.bourbon@gmail.com
Number limited to 30 people per visit.
GROUP VISITS – ONLY BY RESERVATION
We invite you to contact JARDIN DE FRANCE by phone 03 85 89 92 55 or by email : tourisme@jardindefrance.fr for all requests.
In the setting of the thousand year old architecture of the church of Saint-Nazaire, testimonies of the different civilisations that have succeeded one another in the region have been gathered together, from the first stone axes of prehistoric man, to the fragments of Gallo-Roman pottery, burials, pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. … to the remains of ancient monuments of Bourbon-Lancy (Thermal baths, Leprosarium, Saint-Martin’s Church, etc…)
Among the paintings on display, we note a canvas by Merlette (a 19th century Bourbon painter who enjoyed a certain notoriety), studies by Puvis de Chavannes (19th century) for the Hôtel de Ville in Paris and the very famous “Family of Fishermen” as well as works by painters such asRameau or Le Bourg, and sculptors such as Barrias or Bouchard.
A collection of Sèvres vases and several works by the sculptor Beguinne are also on display.
This museum offers a retrospective of Puzenat agricultural machinery since 1874.
Émile Puzenat, a small blacksmith in Bourbon-Lancy, took advantage of the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 19th century to develop agricultural machinery.
Bourbon Expo also contains a Museum of Wooden Tools in which you can discover various woodworking trades (clog makers, carpenters, coopers…) as well as hundreds of planes.
The oldest tools found date from the Gallo-Roman period but it seems that these tools were born even earlier…
In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution transformed the craft industry into a rural industry.
Emile PUZENAT, then tried his luck by making cultivation equipment.
The invention of the Z harrow in 1874 was the starting point of a dazzling rise …
Museum visible only on guided tours for groups depending on the availability of volunteers.
Contact details:
Museum of the Puzenat Farming Machine and woodworking tools
Rue du Docteur Pain – 71140 BOURBON-LANCY
