Montbrison (Loire - Rhone Alps)

Montbrison (Loire - Rhone Alps) mini guide

Tucked away in the Vizery valley 36km northwest of Saint Etienne you will find the charming market town of Montbrison huddled around a volcanic hill and overlooking the Vizezy river between the Loire plain and the Monts du Forez.

The Monts de Forez are a range of granite mountains some 45 kilometres long with picturesque valleys and magnificent views. They look down on the town from a height of 5,278 feet. If you follow the valley down you will pass peaks that are the remains of long extinct volcanoes.

Montbrison belonged to the counts of Forez during the middle ages. In 1801 it became the capital of its department in place of Feurs, but in 1856 the was replaced by the more important town of St. Etienne.

The principal buildings are the once collegiate church of NotreDame d'Esperance, founded about 1220 but not finished till the 15th century, and the 14th-century edifice known as the Salle de la Diana (Decana), which was restored by Viollet-leDuc.

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Guide point	Details
Department:	The Rhone Alps (SE France) > Rhone Alps > Loire >
Location:	Located in the Loire departement of the Rhone-Alps in east central France.
Public Transport:
Tourist information website:	http://www.tourisme.fr/office-de-tourisme/montbrison.htm
Tourist information contact email:	contact@loireforez.com
Tourist information switch board number:	+ 33 (0)4 77 96 08 69
Tourist information address:	Cloître de Cordeliers, 42600 Montbrison, France
Quick links to accommodation:	Accommodation near Montbrison (Loire - Rhone Alps) - Hotels in Montbrison (Loire - Rhone Alps) Show accommodation in Loire - Self catering in Loire - Bed and Breakfast in Loire properties with pools in Loire -