Petit gîte de Bussolles (studio)

In Lapalisse, the nearest town, you can visit the imposing Lapalisse Castle. This castle has been owned by the same family, now De Chabannes, for more than six centuries. By appointment, you will be given a guided tour of some parts of the castle and the adjoining family church. The gardens are freely accessible. Every year in summer the spectacular 'Son & Lumière' takes place here, a beautiful light and sound spectacle about historical events surrounding the castle, its owners, Lapalisse and Burgundy.
Do you like walking? We have several short and long walks plotted for you, directly from the castle. You will pass the old water mill, Moulin de Bussolles (with waterfall). In the old days, this mill was part of the estate Château de Bussolles, as was the Chapelle de Bussolles around the corner, the old chapel of Bussolles, a medieval church that belonged to the owners of the castle at the time. On a clear day, you can see the Puy de Dôme in the distance.
Visit the beautiful city of Vichy with the wonderful old casino and the opera building which dates from 1902. Vichy is famous for its spas and architecture and notorious for its position during the Second World War. But already many centuries before, Napoleon Bonaparte liked to stay in Vichy. The beauty of the city is its Art Deco heritage. A must is the beautiful park
Napoleon III with the lovely boulevard along the Allier that leads you to both banks of the river. Also beautiful: the wonderful gallery in the Parc des Sources with special shops. Vichy has many good restaurants, not expensive and truly French. The centre is ideal for shopping, there is a large swimming pool, a horse race track, you can go white water canoeing and much more. Just half an hour from the castle.
A nice day out is to the waterfall Cascade de la Pisserote. This is beyond Arfeuilles, south of the castle (about 30 min. drive). The walk from the parking at Le Verger takes about half an hour, but then you arrive at a beautiful waterfall. You can splash around in the naturally formed 'gour', a small basin carved out of the rocks. Be sure to bring your picnic gear, because it is a lovely place to be, especially in warm weather.
At Paray sous Brialles (+ 30 km from Château de Bussolles) lies the beautiful, professional kart circuit Circuit Jean Brun. This track is only accessible for license holders. It is said that Jos Verstappen has driven here kart-races. Definitely worth a visit. Check the website to see if there are any races.
Le Pal is an amusement park and zoo in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Besbre. The park opened its doors in 1973 and has many rides with names like The Yukon Wings, The Twist and The Beaver River. In addition, there is a zoo, a playground and you can watch special shows on a regular basis. You drive there in about 45 minutes.
The Allier offers much more beautiful, fun and interesting things to see and discover. Walking, beautiful cycling routes, cosy markets with local products, there are two beautiful golf courses near Vichy, you can taste wines in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule (one of the oldest wine regions of France!), a water sports area (a.o. Canoeing, pedalos) near Mayet de Montagne and Saint-Clément, wakeboarding at Paray sous Briailles and volcano lovers will enjoy the amusement and adventure park Vulcania, northeast of Clermont-Ferrand, a beautiful city. Beautiful cities and places to visit: Beaune, Dijon, Moulins, Charroux, au nord-est de Clermont-Ferrand, une belle ville. Autres belles villes et villages à visiter: Beaune, Dijon, Moulins, Charroux, Apremont-sur-Allier, too many to mention.