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The Benedictine abbey of Chantelle, a half-day trip from Vichy

Published 4 June 2021

From Vichy, the Abbaye Saint-Vincent in Chantelle is a little under an hour's drive, towards the west of the Bourbonnais. There you can visit a Romanesque church still home to a community of Benedictine sisters, who have lived here since 1853, and buy the products they make. It is a peaceful outing that is easy to combine with a neighbouring village on the same day.

The drive from Vichy

Allow around forty kilometres. The simplest route is via Gannat, then north along the small roads of the Sioule valley, or via Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule if you would like to stop in the vineyards. There is no convenient public transport for a day return: the car remains the realistic option.

Chantelle is a small town: parking is easy and everything can then be done on foot. The abbey is on rue Anne-de-Beaujeu, on a rocky spur overlooking a bend in the Bouble river.

What to see

The site stands where the former castle of the Dukes of Bourbon once stood, razed on Richelieu's orders in the 17th century. What remains is above all the abbey church, a simple, light-filled Romanesque building, and the monastic buildings restored by the sisters since their arrival in the mid-19th century.

• The church: open to visitors, free of charge during opening hours. Please bear in mind that it is a place of prayer.
• The shop: for more than sixty years, the community has made cosmetics that are sold on site. It is a chance to take home a useful souvenir rather than an ornament.
• Guided tours: these are arranged with the Maison du Tourisme in Chantelle. Check before you go, as slots are limited.

Opening hours vary from day to day (shorter at weekends and on bank holidays). Check them on the Abbaye Saint-Vincent page or with the abbey before setting off.

For walkers

Chantelle lies on the GR 300, one of the routes of the Way of St James. If you enjoy walking, a short section along the Bouble gorges rounds off the visit nicely. Wear good shoes: the paths around the promontory drop quite steeply towards the river.

Planning the day

Chantelle fits well into a loop to the west of Vichy. A few ideas:

• Charroux, about ten minutes away: medieval lanes, craftspeople and local mustard. See our article on Charroux in the Bourbonnais.
• Bayet and its dried flower farm, on the way back via Saint-Pourçain: our article on the dried flowers of Bayet.
• A lunch built around Bourbonnais produce, with a few ideas in our food discoveries.

Leaving around 10 am, you can visit the abbey in the morning, Charroux in the afternoon and be back in Vichy by the end of the day.

Back to Vichy for the night

This kind of excursion is more enjoyable when you do not have to repack your suitcase every evening. Our holiday apartments in Vichy make a base for exploring the whole Bourbonnais, bookable from one night, with cleaning and linen included. To locate the properties and outings, see our map.