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ОглавлениеVichy
As one of France’s foremost spa towns, Vichy achieved considerable fame for its curative might when Napoleon III started taking its sulphurous waters in the 1860s.
Pressure-controlled water massage: the Vichy shower.
Flocks of wellness tourists descended on this simple Auvergne settlement as word spread Europe-wide of Vichy’s effectiveness in healing bodily aches and pains and digestive ills. But Vichy’s history extends much further back than Napoleon III. Under the reign of Louis XIV, the town became a health resort of great elegance that was dubbed the ‘second Paris’. However, Vichy’s rich supply of mineralized waters first gained an international reputation during Roman times. The legions exploited the sulphur-laden beneficial virtues of the local springs during restorative bathing sessions.
Genteel Elegance
Today, Vichy is characterized by stately buildings that date from the 19th and 20th centuries, a reflection of the development of the town into a world-class spa resort. Although the grand old Thermal Establishment built in 1900 is now a beautifully converted upscale shopping mall, the elegant spa gardens, Parc des Sources, are still a central gathering point. The gardens have a handsome bandstand, in which genteel afternoon concerts take place, picnic areas and shaded spots in which people sit, read and chat. Visitors delight in these restful, green, public spaces before, or after, sampling Vichy’s healing waters from the Célestin bronze taps on the Boulevard du President Kennedy, the source for the town’s world-famous bottled spring water sold around the world.
Wellness Centres
Although Vichy suffers a little from its reputation as being a destination for a large number of affluent French pensioners, the town remains a fashionable wellness retreat.
In the cutting-edge 1990s-built Thermes Callou, 130 light and airy spa suites are fed by a mammoth pump room. Open April–December only, with accommodation in the adjoining Hôtel Ibis, the Callou specializes in one-to three-day spa breaks.
3 things you must not miss
1 Shopping Trip Delve into Vichy’s small boutiques, delicatessens and wine stores hidden among its riddle of old passages and pedestrian streets. www.ville-vichy.fr
2 Thrill of the Races Visit l’Hippodrome, Vichy’s lively horse-racing track (open May–September), which is host to a popular flat-racing festival in July. www.courses-de-vichy.fr
3 Night at the Opera Grab a ticket for one of the many outstanding ballets, orchestral concerts and musical performances at l’Opéra de Vichy, a stunning building notable for its Italian-style decor. www.villevichy.fr/opera-vichy.htm
INFORMATION
THERMES CALLOU
t + 33 4 70 97 39 60
w www.vichy-thermescallou-hotel.com
A signature Vichy shower is €45. This is a real treat for spa-goers keen to soak up the town’s number-one therapy.
THERMES DES DÔMES
t + 33 4 70 97 39 60
w www.vichy-thermes-domes-hotel.com
Book online for three-night spa breaks from €360 per person, including breakfast and signature treatments.
Taste spring water from the pump at the Hall des Sources pavilion.
The sister centre, the Thermes des Dômes, is a more lavish affair, offering a wider range of individualized treatments that allows each guest to tailor-make their stay (accommodation is provided by the neighbouring Novotel Thermalia). Short health stays and wellness programmes centre on massage, fluorine-rich bathing and organic, nutrient-laden wraps. Water temperatures range from 22–45°C (72–113°F), with all six of the spring ‘fresh-from-the-mountaln’ waters piped into the Hall des Sources (Hall of Springs) – Vichy’s landmark spa building.
Both establishments have been awarded ISO 9002 certification by the Association Française pour l’Assurance Qualité (French Quality Assurance Association), a measure of the quality of the thermal spas at every level, from hygiene to hospitality. Using France’s greatest concentration of thermal springs, the Thermes Callou and Thermes des Dômes have embraced the modern wellness ethos centred on the holistic balance of body, mind and soul.
The sumptuous architecture and thermal fountains of the Thermes des Dômes.
