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The Countryside
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The Montagne bourbonnaise
 The Montagne bourbonnaise is formed by the Bois Noirs and the Mont de la Madeleine, two small, parallel mountain ranges between the River Loire and the River Allier. At the base of these hills you can find places of remarkable natural beauty, trout rivers and picturesque villages. It is the place of legends too. Rounded hills with a few rocky crags overlook green valleys full of oak, chestnut, beech, pine and birch trees.
The Montagne bourbonnaise is great hiking country, for horse riding, mountain biking or rambling. It boasts 400 kilometres of marked footpaths in a stunningly beautiful, unspoilt environment. The Puy du Montoncel is the highest point, at 1,287 metres, with panoramic views. In the summer, lovers of the new “board sports” can stay in a small ski resort called the Loge des Gardes.
This is a region of gastronomic delights where the numerous country inns offer simple, healthy, tasty meals made from local specialities such as ham, jams, honey and goat’s cheeses.
The summer season features, among other things, the basket fair, the Montagne bourbonnaise Games, the Paper fair and the Gooseneck festival.
In addition to Mayet-de-Montagne, Chatel-Montagne is one of the main towns. It is famous for its church, one of the most beautiful Romanesque edifices in the county and a typical example of the Romanesque style found in the Auvergne. A few metres away, in the Maison du Patrimoine, there is an exhibition on the Notre Dame church and Romanesque art.
Chatel-Montagne is also reputed for its many craftsmen and artists, who display their work for visitors in their workshops and studios.
The Val de Cher
 When you explore the many paths that wind their way through our county, you will come across chateaux, museums, gardens and many other sights in a perennially splendid natural environment.
The River Cher begins in the Creuse, winds through deep, wild gorges, arrives peacefully in Montluçon and continues its lazy way towards the Berry. Rare animal species such as the otter or the fario trout can be found there. Further west, the River Aumance runs through gentler, rolling countryside, bathing the feet of villages that are often forgotten, but whose subtle charm will surely appeal to visitors. Great writers have also found inspiration in the Val de Cher villages. For example, the heroes of the masterpieces by Alain-Fournier (Le Grand Meaulnes) and Georges Sand (The Master Bell-ringers) get their names from Meaulne (with no ‘s’!) and Huriel.
The Val de Cher is not only a region of unique landscapes: it is also the garden of its main town, Montluçon. The Château of the Dukes of Bourbon has survived in this medieval town, now housing the museum of traditional local music.
The Sioule Valley
 Before reaching the calm waters of the Allier, the Sioule passes through the foothills of the Massif Central. It is a wild area and certainly worth visiting.
Once the border between the Bourbonnais and the Auvergne, the river now divides the Allier, on its left bank, from the Puy-de-Dôme, on its right. The Château de Chouvigny, a 13th century fortress perched on the cliff, overlooks the gorges, delighting walkers going up the river.
There is also a pretty view from the Château de Veauce, surrounded by thick woods.
The Forest of Colettes lies between the Sioule and the Bouble valleys. It has 1,600 hectares of oak and beech trees and is a great attraction for mushroom enthusiasts. Those looking for more strenuous activities will be interested to know that the only mountain-biking centre of the county, the Vert Plateau, with its 280 kilometres of marked trails, is to be found in these woods.
Among the many Romanesque churches that add to the region’s charm (Gannat, Mazerier or Biozat, for example), the Saint-Léger church in Ebreuil, once an abbey-church, is a reminder that a powerful Benedictine abbey stood here for nearly 900 years. The frescoes in the gallery, painted in 1125, are the oldest of the many attractions the building has to offer.
The Bocage bourbonnais
 How restful it is to gaze over this landscape of gentle valleys and soft hills, with its almost feminine charm. No aggressive peaks break the gentle lie of the plains.
Vast forests live in harmony with a patchwork of fields and hedges dotted with oak-trees, like lost giants from some long-forgotten battle.
With its constellation of chateaux and fortified houses, its unchanging villages, a galaxy of hamlets, the bocage seems to be timeless, to have escaped from urbanization – a green, living paradise.
With its hundreds of roads and paths, and with no central town, the bocage is a perfect setting for the wanderer.
No compass is needed as you amble among elegantly restored red-brick houses and barns with royal entrances, through the Bagnolet and Moladier forests, and chateaux that can be found in nearly every village.
The Val de Besbre
 The hilly Val de Besbre area was perfect for the construction of a large number of keeps, strategically ideal in case of conflict. High up, on either side of this valley, there are small villages, characteristic of this fertile rural area.
The Val de Besbre is the “flat country” of René Fallet, a fantasy novelist (“Cabbage Soup”), who used to come here to recharge his batteries. Just as he did, we can follow the River Besbre as it winds its way towards the Loire, north of Dompierre. The river forms a natural border with Burgundy.
The Combraille
 The high, regular plateaux of the Combraille slope gently down to the area around Monmarault, a town that has now become an important regional crossroad. It is famous for its Malicorne Orchard Garden, dedicated to Mother Nature and founded in 1954 by Georges Delbard, the rose creator.
The Sologne bourbonnaise
 The Sologne bourbonnaise is in the northeast of the county, on the border with the Nievre and the Saône-et-Loire. It forms a harmonious ensemble of meadows, farmland, woodland and a thousand scattered ponds. The Sologne is a mixture of agricultural land and semi-wild spaces, ideal for hunting and fishing.
The architectural identity of the Allier originates from the heart of the Sologne bourbonnaise. Typical of the region are the facades of the traditional houses, made from blue and pink bricks. After visiting Chevagnes, a charming little town with attractive houses of wood and brick, visitors can stroll along the canal that joins the Loire. It is an original way to visit this charming region.
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