The group heads slowly towards the historic center of Montluçon, taking the streets of the medieval city and discovering its old stone buildings in the process. “We are going to make leaps in time”, launches Julie Besançon, guide-lecturer at the tourist office of the heart of France valley.
“We are going to travel from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. »A journey through time thanks to a journey of nearly two hours in the heart of the medieval city. “But beware”, warns the guide. “This is not a chronological visit. Rather an atypical visit to discover the “little stories that made the great history of Montluçon”.
The tourist office of the valley of the heart of France, in Montluçon (Allier) relies on novelty to attract tourists
An atypical visit
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On that day, to discover the anecdotes that marked the city on the banks of the Cher, as well as its unusual places, around ten people took the “Montluçon Secret” guided tour. Tourists coming in particular from the north of France and the Paris region, staying one or two days in Montluçon, but also, for half, Montluçonnais curious to know their city a little better.
“This visit is a creation of the tourist office. It has been around for three years now and we see a lot of people living in the area coming. It is very different from the guided tour of the medieval city, while being complementary. “
Julie Besancon (guide-lecturer)
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“There, with Montluçon Secret, we think outside the box. It is a lighter visit, more in the holiday spirit, ideal to do also with children. Even the Montluçonnais who think they know everything about the city are learning things, ”says Julie Besançon. And each visit gives him a little more reason …
Moreover, from the first stop in front of the municipal theater, after having surveyed the rue Porte des forges and the rue des Ursules, the surprise can already be read on several faces. The building, bought at the beginning of the 20th century by the city of Montluçon, was originally the cloister and the chapel of the Ursulines (the order of Sainte-Ursule is a Catholic religious order whose vocation in particular is the education of girls) .
“The theater was subsequently inaugurated in 1914, it is truly a jewel of provincial theaters”, assures the guide who takes the opportunity to evoke a local figure, the one who gave her name to the theater: the actress Gabrielle Robinne, born in 1886 in Montluçon, member of the Comédie-Française and one of the first silent film actresses.
This visit allows you to discover two other local figures who have marked the city on the banks of the Cher: André Messager, composer and conductor (the conservatory bears his name), and Achille Allier, historian, archaeologist and illustrator.
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After several weeks of stop, the Tourist Office of the Vallée coeur de France is resuming its guided tours in Montluçon (Allier)
The highlight is the Chapel of the Sacred Heart
But the high point of secret Montluçon arrives in the middle of the visit with the Sacré Coeur chapel, near the oldest street called Montluçon (rue Montpeiroux).
“There are plenty of things to see in the medieval city that don’t date back to the Middle Ages. This chapel is the perfect example. It was also for her, at the outset, that the Montluçon secret guided tour was created. It is a real gem, a little-known place, unique in Montluçon and even in the region. “
Julie besançon (guide-lecturer)
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A resident of the city on the banks of the Cher, participating in the visit, confirms: “I have been passing through there for forty years and this is the first time I have entered. I had never even seen that big green cross on the facade. »And passing the heavy doors of the building, the amazement is total.
A discovery also for some Montluçonnais present: the immense fireplace of an old banal oven still standing in the heart of the medieval city, the rose garden of the Wilson garden or a carved wooden door of an old mansion bearing a Masonic symbol. .
“The city of Montluçon is full of secrets and there are many unusual stories,” says Julie Besançon before leading visitors to another place. “Come, I’ll take you to a secret passage. “
In addition to secret Montluçon (until August 15 on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and Thursday at 10 a.m.), the tourist office offers various visits to Montluçon: the medieval city, the castle of Louvière, the Wilson garden. Information, detailed schedules and ticket office on the site from the tourist office. For now, tours are limited to thirty people. The tourist office therefore does not ask visitors for a health pass.
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Photos: Cécile Champagnat
Text: Laura Morel
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