Nevers (Nièvre)

Nevers (Nièvre) mini guide

Nevers is a venerable old town in the far west of Burgundy, located on the northern bank of a loop of the river Loire. The town is best approached from the opposite bank of the Loire and entered via the bridge as this is an excellent place from which to appreciate its setting. The original city was constructed on a small easily defended hill and from this position you can still see remains of the ancient ramparts which once surrounded the winding cobbled streets and half-timbered houses.

The centre of the town is now the place Carnot and the 15th century Palais Ducal, which claims to be the earliest Loire chateau, with its stone carved Renaissance façade and octagonal turrets. You may be interested to know the tourist office is located here also.

Near by is the Cathédrale de St Cyr, built between the 10th to the 16th centuries. Its oldest feature, the remains of a 6th century baptistery, was only found in 1944, after it was revealed by heavy bombing in World War II. The blown out windows have now been replaced by stunning modern stained glass.

There are many interesting architectural styles to the churchs in Nevers. From the Romanesque Eglise St Etienne, one of the loveliest churches with its radiating pilgrims’ chapels, the elaborate 17th century Baroque Sainte-Marie chapel, the classical Eglise de Saint-Pierre, to the dramatic contrast of the modernist cement structure of St Bernadette du Banlay.

The famous pottery of Nevers arrived with the Gonzaga family from Italy in the 16th century and the traditional faience of blue, yellow white and green is still made here. There are lots of workshops and faienceries where you can buy modern examples, and while the Musée Municipal is undergoing a radical overhaul the best way to see historical treasures is to visit the display in the Palais Ducal.

For stylish shopping, the place to head for is the Rue Francois Mitterand and the Place de l’Europe for café life. On a culinary note, Nevers is also famous for its bonbons - Négus, a soft chocolate caramel and nougatine, a mixture of sugar and almonds in orange icing, which owes it success to the sweet tooth of Empress Eugenie. If you like nougat, visit Edé, 75 Rue François Mitterand and for those with a very sweet tooth, Au Négus along the same street, has everything from marron glacé to praline, chocolate and caramel.

Market days are held at Marché Carnot, on Tuesday and Friday mornings, and all day on Saturday.

A summer programme of street festivals and open air concerts, both classical and jazz, will add to your pleasure of visiting Nevers. You could also enjoy a riverbank walk or take a trip in traditional wooden boat along the Loire. To the south of the town is the extraordinary Pont du Guetin, a water bridge which carries the Loire canal across the Allier river.