The historic centre of the town of Charlieu will enchant all architecture fans, with its beautiful old timber-framed and corbelled houses, and its Benedictine abbey boasting magnificent Romanesque portals. Besides the remarkable sculptures of the narthex, this ancient abbey, built in the 9th century, also has a cloister dating from the 15th century, a chapter house and prior's chapel that can be visited, as well as a lapidary museum and a museum of religious art situated in the parlour and the cellar, respectively.
Also to be visited: the former hospice that today houses the Silk museum and the Hospital museum.