We traveled to the Roannais with my favorite photographer in September 2022. This territory is located in the northern part of the Loire department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, a department crossed from south to north for over 100 km by France’s longest river, the Loire. As I am originally from Lyon, this is a region I’m somewhat familiar with, though I didn’t know it very well. It is truly a land between earth and water, very natural with beautiful panoramas, and it also possesses a rich medieval heritage, notably with a significant monastic past. In this article, I invite you to discover this territory and its capital, Roanne!
Practical information:
- Getting there by train from Paris: take a TGV to Lyon Part-Dieu station (2 hours), then a TER regional train to Roanne (1 hour 20 minutes).
Table of Contents
Visiting the town of Roanne
The town of Roanne has a charming small town center and it seems to offer a certain quality of life to its inhabitants. The origins of the city date back to the 3rd century BC, but it was in the Middle Ages that the town developed significantly thanks to the Loire River that crosses it and brought prosperity, as it was a port for transporting goods. The town was also an important site for earthenware until the industrial period, and also a hub for textiles and water-related trades.
You will therefore find in the heart of Roanne, which has over 20 centuries of history, numerous vestiges, particularly from the medieval period, but sometimes older as well, for instance, the Gallo-Roman pottery kilns which unfortunately can only be seen on guided tours for groups, which we were unable to see, to my great regret. I also recommend you visit the Saint-Étienne Church, which dates back to the 14th century, but has been almost completely rebuilt. Near the town’s Tourist Office, don’t miss the Castle, a landmark monument of the city, with its 12th-century dungeon and its main building, which dates from the 14th and 15th centuries, featuring a trompe-l’œil facade.
Roannais Tourism
8 place Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny 42300 Roanne
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Visiting the Joseph Dechelette Museum
This fine arts and archaeology museum offers a beautiful journey from prehistory to the 20th century. It is housed in the former private mansion where Joseph Déchelette (a famous late 19th-century archaeologist) lived before his death during the First World War. His wife then bequeathed the place and her husband’s collections to the town of Roanne after her death, and the museum opened its doors in 1924.
The museum presents rich archaeological collections for the Celtic and Gallo-Roman periods. It also possesses a rich collection of revolutionary earthenware and contemporary ceramics, as Roanne was an important center for earthenware production, as I mentioned in the introduction. If you have time, don’t miss visiting the museum library (specializing in archaeology and art history), which was Joseph Déchelette’s own and is full of charm. It is accessible for free (during opening hours) for consulting works or borrowing books.
Joseph Déchelette Museum
22 Rue Anatole France, 42300 Roanne
open every day except Tuesday
Rates: full price €5 / reduced price €2.80 / free for under 26s
Top tip: access to permanent collections is free on Wednesday afternoons / permanent collections and temporary exhibitions are free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month
Link to the museum’s website
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Go for a bike ride along the Roanne-Digoin Canal on the Véloire
You can rent your bikes, like we did, at the Capitainerie of the Roanne marina. From there, you can easily join the Véloire, a signposted greenway running along the canal from Roanne to Dijon for 25 km, which was the old towpath on the Roanne-Briennon section. This canal, dug in the 19th century, was used at the time for transporting goods. Indeed, Roanne was a stopover city on the Loire in the Middle Ages with an important port. We obviously didn’t go all the way to Dijon, but you can ride along the canal for a while and return whenever you want. The canal also allows you to reach the town of Digoin and cycle past the locks.
If you want to do the route from the port of Roanne to the port of Briennon, it’s nearly 14 km one way, so count about 2 hours for the round trip by bike, I’d say. If you want to go to Digoin, there is a 25 km secure and marked greenway. This route, however, is very easy to access even if you are not an experienced cyclist, as there is very little elevation change.
Capitainerie of the Roanne marina
Note: be careful near the port of Roanne, as the start of the cycle route is also frequented by motorists
My favorite addresses in Roanne
As usual, you will find below my selection of favorite addresses in Roanne (one accommodation and several food addresses) that we had the opportunity to test during our stay with the favorite photographer. These addresses often offer the chance to discover local products and a few regional specialties to taste if you come to the area. If you want to stock up on gourmet products, I particularly recommend visiting the Halles Diderot in Roanne, where you can find numerous quality local food shops (Marcellin bakery, Mons cheese shop, Maison Vial butcher, Pralus chocolate shop…). This gourmet institution of the town has existed since 1983 and is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM and from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM, and on Sunday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Specialties and local products to discover: Brasserie du Sornin (they make great craft beers and also a local cola); the AOC wines of the Côte Roannaise, which is one of the southernmost vineyards of the Loire Valley.
Shopping tip: you can also find in Roanne the factory store of the Fée Maraboutée brand, which is a local company that was born in 1996 in Roanne, the cradle of the textile industry.
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Maison Pralus
This address is obviously a must-visit in the region. I had the chance, about 10 years ago, to visit the production facility of the Maison Pralus and meet Mr. Pralus in person. A moment I still remember with emotion. François Pralus is a master chocolatier who makes his chocolate from cocoa beans. Indeed, the Maison Pralus is very attentive to the origin of the cocoa it uses and has owned its own plantation for years in Madagascar, on the island of Nosy Be, in order to master the entire process from bean to bar. The Maison Pralus now has 18 boutiques in France.
I especially love the house’s emblem, the Praluline, this famous brioche filled with crushed pink pralines. It was created in 1955 by Mr. Pralus’s father, Auguste Pralus, who ran a pastry shop at the time. This inimitable brioche is made with Valencia almonds and Piedmont hazelnuts. If you don’t know it, you must absolutely taste it during your visit to Roanne (and if not, there are now even boutiques in Paris that allow you to enjoy it in the capital)!
Pralus Boutique
8 rue Charles de Gaulle 42300 Roanne
or in the Halles Diderot 42300 Roanne
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Bertrand Chocolatier
This self-taught chocolatier, who was voted Best Chocolatier of France in 2018, opened his house in October 2012. The specialty of his chocolate shop lies in the making of domes with ganache, with very original flavors. His products are patented (notably his nib peppermill) and he does not use dyes in his chocolates. The brand has a boutique in Roanne, another in Le Coteau (still in the Loire), and also a boutique in Lyon (since 2021).
Bertrand Chocolatier
44 rue Charles de Gaulle 42300 Roanne
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Révillon Chocolatier
For me, Révillon represents the “papillotes” (chocolate-wrapped sweets) of my childhood in Lyon, wrapped with a small message that marked every Christmas (I actually talk about it in each of my articles on the theme of festive gastronomy). The factory of this brand, which has existed since 1898 and is mainly known today for its papillotes, is located just next to Roanne, and the town also has a boutique in the city center where you can buy their chocolates and papillotes in bulk with over 40 references of papillotes!
The relocation of the Costelloise boutique to the historic heart of Roanne took place in March 2018. Révillon is today part of the city’s gastronomic heritage.
Révillon Chocolatier Boutique
2 place Georges Clemenceau 42300 Roanne
link to the brand’s website
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Fromagerie Mons
This cheese shop, which was created in 1961, now manages the cheese production chain from A to Z with a dairy, a cheese factory in the Hautes-Chaumes (which notably makes Fourme de Montbrison), and three maturation sites, including a former railway tunnel in Ambierle. The company references 250 cheeses sold in about fifteen boutiques, including five in the Loire department. It has also earned the title of Best Craftsman of France (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in maturation, and I can tell you that their cheeses are truly delicious!
If you want to bring back some cheeses from the region, I recommend: the Fourme de Montbrison (€19.80 per kg), a cheese with a dry and orange rind with a creamy paste marbled with blue-green veins, a treasure of the Haut-Forez; the Barriquet (€37.60 per kg); the Tomme de la Croix Lucas; the Comtesse de Vichy; Fumaison de Lavort (€38.30 per kg).
Fromagerie Mons
Halles Diderot 42300 Roanne
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Restaurant Entre Deux Ô
This floating restaurant is a very good dining spot in Roanne, located on the canal (be careful, for those very prone to seasickness, it moves a little bit…), at the port of Roanne. The place offers a classy and intimate setting with a very beautiful view of the canal. On the plates, you will find refined and well-executed cuisine with quality products and service worthy of a gastronomic restaurant. Regarding wines, I recommend testing the wines of the region: the Côtes Roannaises.
To taste: octopus carpaccio; the wines of the Côte Roannaise; as a main course, the monkfish carpaccio with a lime, ginger, and mango vinaigrette, or the Iberian pork tenderloin cooked at low temperature with sucrine and organic baby carrots; for dessert (€7), the tonka-passion finger with coconut biscuit, pineapple carpaccio, and exotic sorbet, or the roasted apricot with honey-lime confit, white chocolate ganache infusion, and verbena sorbet.
Restaurant Entre Deux Ô
72 bis Quai Commandant Lherminier, 42300 Roanne
Rates: menu with starter + main course + cheese or dessert starting from €35
Top tip: market menu for lunch on weekdays
free parking nearby
open from Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner
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Where to stay in Roanne? La Maison Rose
This very beautiful accommodation, opened since April 2022, is ideally located in the heart of the historic center of Roanne and is housed in the “la maison rose” (the pink house), the oldest house in Roanne with its timber framing, which dates back to the mid-15th century. It has been renovated very recently and is soon expected to have some additional work done to redo its facade as well.
The house offers a magnificent charming accommodation with careful decoration over 3 floors and is perfect for hosting 4 people (ideally a family as it has a large King-size bed and then a mezzanine with two single beds for children). It is also very well equipped with a washing machine, lounge with home cinema, air conditioning, equipped kitchen, etc. The accommodation also offers a breakfast delivery service upon request, with a nice emphasis on local products.
The little extra: the balneotherapy bathtub in the bathroom!
La Maison Rose
3 Place du Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, 42300 Roanne
Rates: starting from €72 per night
To see / to do in the Roannais
The Roannais territory is full of multiple landscapes with green hills, beautiful vineyards, the Gorges of the Loire… It is also a region rich in authentic and picturesque character villages, and I present a few below that we had the opportunity to visit during our stay. To best enjoy the surroundings of Roanne, you will however ideally need to travel by car.
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Visit to the medieval village of Perreux
This village of character is located in the Pierres Dorées region (a region I had already told you about in my article on the Beaujolais). It is the former stronghold of the Sires de Beaujeu with its dungeon, its old feudal door, and its half-timbered houses. A short walk in the alleys of this village will take you back in time to the medieval period.
To see on site: the Dungeon Tower (you can go up to the terrace); the old apse of the 11th-century church, preserved next to the town hall; artisan pottery workshops (notably the Pottery “Au Grès des Flammes” which can be found in the Ribambelle boutique in Roanne).
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Play an escape game at the Château de la Roche
This iconic site of the region (about 20 minutes by car from Roanne) is anchored on a rocky outcrop above the Loire, and its unlikely location overlooking the river gives it a very remarkable and particularly romantic appearance. The medieval castle was built in the 13th century, but the current building is a neo-Gothic restoration from the early 20th century that seems to float on the Loire. The castle is now, in normal times (because the Loire was quite low during our visit), surrounded by water since the construction of the Villerest dam in 1982.
The castle is visited only via theatrical guided tours (which we unfortunately did not have time to do) or through an escape game that we tested, the two rooms of which are located in the heights of the monument. During this escape game, you have 60 minutes to escape from the room you are locked in (if you want to know more about escape games, I recommend checking my article on this subject, of which I have included the link just above). The title of this escape game is “Submersion Alert” and it involves escaping from the castle as the level of the Loire rises to avoid drowning… Quite a program…
Château de la Roche
Saint Priest La Roche
Escape game rate: €20 per person from March to November
Number of players: between 3 to 4 players, but we managed to do it with 2 experienced players
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Visiting the village of Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire
This village of character does not lack charm with its dungeon standing on a promontory above Lake Villerest. It is located about 15 minutes by car from Roanne. It’s an interesting stop because it is rich in heritage and medieval vestiges in particular.
My advice: Go all the way to the top of the medieval dungeon, 17 meters high (a remnant of the town’s former 12th-century fortress) for a magnificent panoramic view of the surroundings (free access). And don’t miss taking a tour in the St-Maurice Church of the village, whose origin dates back to the 12th century and which was the castle’s chapel, as it houses magnificent medieval wall frescoes from the 13th century that evoke biblical scenes. Another interesting building to see is the Manoir de la Mure Chantois, a beautiful example of Renaissance civil architecture.
Besides its medieval character, the village also houses a range of artisans, whose work you can discover at La Cure, a cultural and craft center of the Roannais. The place offers workshops, exhibitions, and a boutique full of local creations. During our visit in 2022, we saw an exhibition entitled “A Table”, which highlighted local artisans. It is also a great place to find gift ideas and bring back a souvenir made in Roannais.
La Cure
799 Rue de l’Union, 42155 Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire
free and open access
link to the place’s website
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Where to eat in Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire? Restaurant Côte à Côte
This nice restaurant is managed by Antoine and Louise and is recommended in the 2020 Gault & Millau because you eat very well there. The address also has a very pleasant small terrace for sunny days. And for info, the place also serves as a tearoom during the day if you are looking for a place to stop in the middle of a walk.
My advice & to taste: drink a small glass of the local sweet rosé, Le Charmeur de la Chapelle from Maurice Piat & sons, a winegrower from the village; the egg cocotte with grilled eggplant and buffalo mozzarella; the salmon steak with galanga; the beef onglet and zucchini flan; for dessert, the chocolate fondant and pink praline ice cream.
Restaurant Côte à Côte
35 place des Chalands, 42155 Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire
Price: starters at €12 / main courses at €18 / desserts at €4.90 / starter + main course + dessert menu at €28
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Where to stay in Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire? Guesthouse Les Pittoresques
This very nice accommodation is located in the heart of the village of Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire. This character guesthouse offers several accommodations, and we were for our part in the apartment upstairs, La Thébaïde. It is a unit for 4 people with 2 bedrooms, each including 2 double beds, which is very well equipped and particularly quiet. It is decorated with great taste and special attention is paid to ecology and the products offered (loose teas and herbal teas, ground coffee with a good coffee machine, bottle of local wine as a welcome gift).
The good point: autonomous arrival with a key box, which is very convenient; there is also a free parking lot to park your car a little below the accommodation.
Guesthouse Les Pittoresques
36 Rue François Dechelette, 42155 Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice-sur-Loire
Rates: starting from €60 per night
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Visit Saint-Haon-le-Châtel
This small, peaceful medieval village, timeless and labeled as a Village of Character, offers beautiful alleys with old-world charm. In the middle of the 14th century, Saint-Haon-le-Châtel was a central point for trade in Forez, as evidenced by the city’s old medieval ramparts, which are very well preserved and which one can walk around via a short stroll. I particularly advise you to stroll through the alleys and take this famous rampart walk in order to make the most of the charm of this village.
Not to be missed: the 16th-century sundial house, the Hôtel Pelletier (Renaissance residence leaning against one of the eight towers of the fortifications and its original well), the medieval garden (personally, we unfortunately missed it, that’s why I’m mentioning it).
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Good producers in Saint-Haon-le-Vieux? Les petits pois sont rouges
Martine and David are passionate market gardeners, established in Saint-Haon-le-Vieux since 2018. They also do cooking and offer many events on their farm: organic and vegetable aperitif dinner accompanied by Côte Roannaise wines under the greenhouse on Friday evenings during the summer (July, August, and September), brunch, direct sales also with a small catering service, barn open on certain Saturday mornings with sales of vegetables, fresh fruit, preserves. All their products and preparations (which we had the chance to test) are absolutely delicious and organic! You can also find them at the markets in the region. I recommend looking at their website and their social media if you are passing through the area, to see if they are organizing anything, as it is truly a place to discover where you feel very good!
As for prepared products, we find: a nice range of soups, ratatouilles, tomato coulis, jams, but also fresh products such as lasagna or pies.
Les petits pois sont rouges
70 impasse de la Verlie 42370 Saint Haon le Vieux
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Where to eat in Saint-Haon-le-Vieux? Restaurant l’Original
This address located in Saint-Haon-le-Vieux (therefore just next to Saint-Haon-le-Châtel), is both a traditional restaurant for lunch, and in the evening it offers tapas and cocktails (classics but also more original creations). We took advantage of the establishment’s beautiful shaded terrace to have lunch outside, and I must say that the setting is very pleasant.
To taste: the house burgers for lunch (prices between €9.50 and €14.50); the revisited cocktails of the address.
Restaurant l’Original
1301 route de Renaison, Croix Lucas, 42370 Saint-Haon-le-Vieux
Rates: daily menu at €14.50 for lunch from Wednesday to Friday / cocktails between €8 and €14
Top tip: happy hours on Thursday and Saturday evenings from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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Go for a hike in the Côte Roannaise
The vineyard of the Côte Roannaise is located a stone’s throw from Roanne and stretches over a hillside of just over 20 km long. As for grape varieties, in red, it’s the Gamay Saint-Romain (like in the Beaujolais) that dominates on the 215 hectares of the AOC Côte Roannaise appellation (appellation d’origine contrôlée since 1994). In total, about thirty winegrowers work on these granitic lands. The reputation of this vineyard has changed in recent years, as winegrowers have made many efforts to increase the quality of their production.
You can walk along the vineyard hillsides through hiking trails and walks that allow you to discover the landscape of the vines of the Côte Roannaise. For our part, we went to St André d’Apchon to do the bucolic walk in the Bouthéran vineyard. You can leave your car near the village church and set off on foot from the village center to do a loop of about 1 hour 30 minutes that notably goes through the vines and hillsides of this vineyard. It’s a country walk, pleasant and very easy to access.
Bouthéran Walk
Saint-André-d’Apchon
duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Thanks to Roannais Tourism and Loire Tourism for this warm welcome in the Roannais territory.
I hope that with all this I will have made you want to visit the Roannais and the town of Roanne, and if you also have your favorite addresses and tips for this destination, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
