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Feurs

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Loire

Feurs is a commune located in the Loire department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, 23 km northeast of Montbrison.

Its territory of 24 km² is located in the plain of Forez, on the right bank of the course of the Loire which is bordered by a number of ponds.

Outside the urban core, the locality has retained a green environment, cultivated land, meadows and forests representing 56% of its area.

Already occupied by man during prehistory, Feurs proved to be an important administrative and commercial center during Antiquity, and there are still important Gallo-Roman remains (theater, forum, sewer network...).

In the Middle Ages, a feudal castle made it possible to monitor the roads leading to Lyon, Roanne or Clermont-Ferrand (13th century), and the city became a place of exchange between peasants and craftsmen.

In the 19th century, the small town was served by one of the country's first railway lines in 1832 and locomotive construction workshops were established.

Nowadays, Feurs has nearly 8300 inhabitants. At the crossroads of the Clermont-Lyon and Roanne-Saint-Etienne axes, the city has preserved a rich heritage and has a very extensive leisure offer (museum, racecourse, aquatic center). Enough to justify a stopover that will also allow you to stroll along the banks of the Loire!

Geographical information

MunicipalityFeurs
Postcode42110
Tourism label
Latitude45.7461700 (N 45° 44’ 46”)
Longitude4.2300290 (E 4° 13’ 48”)
AltitudeFrom 327m to 366m
Surface area24.39 km²
Population8488 inhabitants
Density348 inhabitants/km²
PrefectureSaint-Etienne (46 km, 35 min)
Insee code42094
IntercommunalityCC de Forez-Est
DepartmentLoire
TerritoriesLyonnais, Massif Central
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alps

Nearest cities & towns

Salt-en-Donzy5.5 km (7 min)
Civens5.6 km (8 min)
Épercieux-Saint-Paul6.2 km (9 min)
Poncins6.4 km (10 min)
Cleppé6.7 km (10 min)
Salvizinet7 km (9 min)
Chambéon7.8 km (10 min)
Jas8.1 km (12 min)
Valeille8.2 km (9 min)
Pouilly-lès-Feurs8.3 km (12 min)
Saint-Laurent-la-Conche8.7 km (14 min)
Rozier-en-Donzy9.3 km (14 min)
Mizérieux9.6 km (13 min)
Cottance9.7 km (12 min)
Balbigny10 km (12 min)

Things to see and do

To discover the heritage of the town, a route can begin with the remains of the Roman forum on the Place de la Boaterie.

On the religious level, the Notre-Dame church built on ancient ruins dates from the 12th century for its oldest parts in Romanesque style (the walls of the choir), then it was rebuilt in a Gothic style in the 15th century. However, extensive work was undertaken in the 19th century: the nave was enlarged, chapels were added and both the facade and the bell tower were rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style. A monumental door is thus created with sculpted decorations evoking the litanies of the Virgin and at the bell tower level, are reinstalled after renovation of the 16th century jacquemarts (automatons) which indicate the hours by striking a bell.

Also worth mentioning is the Martyrs' Chapel, erected in 1826 in an antique style (with columns under the pediment) in memory of the 80 people who were guillotined or shot there after their conviction by the revolutionary tribunal in 1793 and 1794.

On the civil level, several castles have been preserved. That of the Minimes housed a monastery founded in 1609, occupied by monks of the order of Saint Francis. During the Revolution, the site was for a time the seat of the prefecture (before its transfer to Saint-Etienne). Bought in 1926 by the municipality, the park became a public garden and the buildings housed an archeology museum. The latter gave way in 1979 to educational institutions.

It was precisely at the Château d'Assier that the museum was hosted. Built at the beginning of the 19th century, it was the secondary residence of the noble and wealthy Assier family. Decorated with carved woodwork and trompe-l'oeil paintings, the estate was acquired by the municipality, with its beautifully wooded park, and since 1979 it has housed the Feurs museum. First dedicated to archaeology, it now also presents a permanent exhibition devoted to the landscape painter Charles Beauverie (19th and 20th centuries), another part of the establishment being devoted to the history of the locality. Temporary exhibitions are regularly hosted. Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Closed on public holidays. Price: 2.50 and 4 euros. Information on +33 4 77 26 24 48.

Next, see the Château du Palais, rebuilt in 1730 in an imposing neo-classical style on a site where a Roman palace then the feudal castle had succeeded. After having housed a college, it is now occupied by the Maison des Jeunes and a musical association.

Finally, the Château du Rozier was remodeled in 1796 while retaining Renaissance elements (16th century). Its park is a pleasant place to walk and since 2019, the buildings have been run by a cooperative society which organizes shows and cultural events. Information on +33 4 77 28 66 09.

This discovery of local heritage finally includes the Hostellerie du Chapeau Rouge, a nationally renowned restaurant which obtained its first star in 1932, the 193 m long bridge over the Loire which replaced in 1926 a 19th century suspension bridge, the "Font qui pleut" fountain where sparkling water gushes out and the sculpture of the Agora, on the embankment of the Liberation crossroads. This work by artists from Lyon was installed in 1993. Representing the permanence and dynamism of the city from its Gallo-Roman origins to the contemporary period, it is 4 meters high. The nobility of the materials (550 kg of bronze, one ton of white marble and two tons of black African granite) is matched only by the symbolic singularity of the form of the work: we can imagine a Roman spear pointing to the sky …

On the culture side, again, activities are regularly offered at the media library (join +33 4 77 27 49 73) and the associative cinema Ciné Feurs has two rooms and an attractive program (information on +33 4 77 28 80 53).

For sports enthusiasts, the aquatic center includes indoor or outdoor pools, fun, "well-being" equipment and lawn in season. Information on +33 4 77 26 24 54. In addition, within the Domaine du Palais are accessible a synthetic football pitch, a climbing wall, tennis courts, beach volleyball courts, a skate park and a bike circuit. -cross… A mini-golf course is also located on rue des Minimes. Contact on +33 4 77 27 40 00.

In a different genre, to the south-west of the city centre, the racecourse inaugurated in 1926 on a green site where races were organized from the 19th century has recently been modernised. Nicknamed the "Chantilly du Forez", with 900 seats in the grandstand, a panoramic restaurant, its 1300 m sand track with rope on the left can host first national category events. Some 10 meetings dedicated to trotting and resulting in Paris are scheduled from April to October. The racecourse is also open during training, and the site also hosts festive or commercial events. Entrance fee during the races: 5 euros. Information on +33 4 77 26 10 45.

A stopover or a stay at Feurs is finally an opportunity to take pleasant walks in the various gardens and parks of the city and, for hikes, to take advantage of the footpaths which border the Loire. Lined with viewpoints and sensitive areas for their biodiversity, these routes can be extended to the west towards the Livradois-Forez Regional Nature Park. Maps and information on +33 4 77 26 05 27.

Places of interest

Information points
Leisure centres
Transport

Events and festivities

Weather

Friday 29 march
Min. 12°C - Max. 19°C
Day
Night
Saturday 30 march
Min. 10°C - Max. 17°C
Day
Night
Sunday 31 march
Min. 9°C - Max. 16°C
Day
Night

Visits, leisure and activities nearby

Leisure activities

Last nameActivity typeRateCity
Museum of Weaving and Silk-making
Culture and education4 € to 6 € Bussières (10.5 km)
Cross-country electric scooter ride in West Lyonnais
Sports sensations30 € to 40 € Bessenay (26 km)
Horse ride in Green Beaujolais
Nature and the great outdoors50 € to 220 € Chamelet (32 km)
Visit to a knife-maker’s workshop
Arts and CraftsFreeArconsat (42 km)
Horse ride in the Monts du Forez
Nature and the great outdoors27 € to 90 € Vollore-Montagne (42 km)

Outings

Last nameOuting typeDifficultyDurationDeparture municipality
Circuit of the Cross of the Fol - Observatory of the landscapes of Montrottier
HikeEasy1:40Montrottier (19 km)
Montbrison, the ancient city
HikeEasy40 minMontbrison (20 km)
Trails of Veauchette - ​​Banks of Loire
HikeEasy1:05Veauchette (21 km)
Moingt, the Gallo-Roman (I-II S. after J.C.)
HikeEasy20 minMontbrison (21 km)
Circuit Le Vieil Ecotay - ATV
Mountain bike itineraryAthletic1:25Montbrison (21 km)

Restaurants

Bed & breakfasts

Vacation rentals

Campsites

Hotels

Your holidays
A hotel
A vacation rental
A bed & breakfast
A campsite
A leisure activity
A restaurant
A rental car
A plane ticket
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