Discover Villerest

Villerest offers several different themes to consider when planning a trip: medieval buildings, wall paintings, a museum and leisure activities. There is also the reservoir formed by the Barrage de Villerest. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Villerest, you can first consider which focus you would like your stay to have.

Buildings and paintings

The Chapelle Saint-Sulpice is the oldest religious building in the commune and dates mainly from the 12th century. Its features include a Romanesque apse, a nave and medieval architectural elements that have undergone very little alteration. The wall paintings also tell of different periods of construction: simple floral motifs and geometric friezes from the 12th century have been discovered. Figures from the 14th century can be seen on the jambs of the openings in the apse. The chapel thus brings together several centuries.

Parts of the fortification walls and the main gate, Porte de Bise, have been preserved in the medieval town centre. The Saint Priest church is described as Villerest’s second Cluniac monument. Its choir is decorated with paintings from the 15th and 18th centuries. The two buildings therefore have distinct historical features: the Romanesque elements and 12th- and 14th-century paintings stand out at the Chapelle Saint-Sulpice, while Saint Priest has paintings from two later centuries.

Museum and open-air exhibition

The Musée de l’Heure et du Feu Guy Champremier explores the history of fire from prehistoric times to the present day. It also features display cases on clockmaking. Fire and clockmaking are thus two distinct themes within the museum. As visiting arrangements may change, check the current conditions in advance.

Another option is Sur les pas des Noirot, a free, educational open-air exhibition suitable for a family visit. Check the display arrangements before visiting. This is particularly useful if you want to include the exhibition as a fixed part of your trip plans.

Reservoir and leisure activities

The reservoir formed by the Barrage de Villerest covers 770 hectares, stretching upstream from Balbigny to downstream from Villerest. This figure gives an idea of the reservoir’s size, while the stated endpoints indicate its geographical location.

The Base de loisirs de Villerest includes a beach with a supervised swimming area in summer, a six-station fitness trail, ten children’s play structures and two pétanque courts. The facilities cater to different interests: swimming, exercise, play or pétanque. The swimming area is supervised in summer. As facilities and seasonal opening arrangements may change, check the current conditions before your visit.

Walk and getting there

The Boucle de Francillon is a family-friendly walking route that passes by the Chapelle Saint-Sulpice. If you would like to include a walk in your trip plans, this route lets you combine a walk with one of Villerest’s historic buildings.

For getting there, the connection from Roanne is a useful point of reference: Villerest can be reached from there via Departmental Road 53. As traffic conditions can vary, take them into account when planning your journey.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Jean-La-Vêtre, Bessey, Saint-Paul-en-Jarez, Marcenod, Chambles, Chandon, Sauvain, Ouches.

For the broader travel overview: Loire.