Standing on a rocky island in the Loire, at the intersection of several waterways, the old fortified town of Decize is a great place to stop and discover the local heritage. Sights to see include the rampart towers, relics of the medieval surrounding wall; the agreeable Promenade des Halles, a long, shady avenue lined with superb plane trees and lime trees; the ruins of the old castle of the Counts of Nevers; the Clock Tower, adorned with a statue of the jurist Guy Coquille; and the Church of Saint-Aré, with an 11th-century chancel and a 7th-century Merovingian crypt.
Barge trips on the Loire are on offer from June to the end of September, departing from the Vieille Loire quay, not far from Decize Tourist Office.