Discover Villars

Villars brings together parks, trails and reminders of its mining history. The sites offer different highlights for planning your trip: the museum focuses on local history and mining, while the parks and walking routes invite you to explore green spaces and the town centre.

Museum and local history

The Musée Jean-Marie Somet devotes its collections to the history of Villars, mining and passementerie (the making of decorative trimmings). The difficult and often dangerous work underground is also among the topics presented by the museum. Alongside the town’s history, it therefore also focuses on the world of mining. The museum brings together several aspects of the area’s past rather than focusing on just one topic.

The Musée Jean-Marie Somet is open free of charge on Saturdays from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; visits are also possible by appointment. Check the visiting arrangements again before travelling. The Église Saint-Laurent adds a specific date to this historical perspective: it was built between 1860 and 1862 to replace Villars’s older 14th-century church. The stained-glass windows bear the signature of Alexandre Mauvernay, a glass painter based in Saint-Galmier.

Parks, views and green spaces

Parc Jean-Marc is an 11-hectare urban park on former mining and marshland, crossed by the Riotord. Its features include broad lawns, children’s play areas and ponds with diverse wildlife; the park is also a place to relax. Activities include a cycle path, pony rides and a small railway. These individual activities may be seasonal.

Parc de la Sapinière is on a different scale: this 5.3-hectare urban park stretches from Bois de la Sapinière to the centre of Villars. Its children’s play area is divided into three sections adapted to different age groups. A path crosses the retention-basin area and continues into Bois de la Sapinière. The woodland was reopened to the public after extensive felling and reforestation work; check access conditions again before visiting.

At Square du puits Beaunier, landscaping meets mining history: the square is on the site of the former Beaunier Mine shaft. A viewpoint there gives walkers a view of the town centre and the surrounding hills. The park, woodland and square each offer something different: green spaces and park facilities, a path towards the woods, and a view across Villars.

Walking routes and bike hire

The 4.5-kilometre circular route “Détours à Villars” is marked with yellow PR waymarkers from the Fédération française de randonnée pédestre de la Loire. For another route, Parcours 14, “À l’ouest: du charbon et du fer,” describes a guided route towards the town centre: it follows Rue de la République to Place Gambetta in front of the church. Check local trail conditions before setting off.

For self-service bike hire, Vélivert stations are located at Place Gambetta and in Parc Jean-Marc. If you plan to use these stations, check their availability before travelling. This allows you to consider a marked circular route, a described route and the listed bike stations as different ways to spend your time in Villars.

Discover more destinations: Planfoy, Saint-Just-En-Chevalet, Balbigny, Cuinzier, Les Noës, Champoly, Noirétable, Les Salles

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