Domaine des Royautés
03160 St. Léopardin d'Augy
France
0033 (0)4 70 66 24 79
contact@les-royautes.com




Forests and rivers are well represented in the Allier. The four most important rivers in the middle of France are the Allier, Cher, Indre and Loire, there are many others, such as the Sioule.

A splendid area of natural beauty is the valley of the Allier between Vichy and Moulins. Each summer about 120 different species of birds make their nest in the valley. The days when annually more than 100,000 salmons swam the Allier have now gone, only a few dozen reach the spawning grounds. The government is doing everything possible to keep the salmon in the river Allier. The different species of fish can be seen through the big windows in the river, at the Vichy observatory.

The water quality in the Allier is second to none and proof of this is that the Otter and the Beaver are numerous. Less known is the presence of the European terrapin. (a small turtle that lives in the swamps)

On the border of the Allier and Cher lies Europes largest oak grove – the Forest Troncais measuring approximately 10,000 acres. Well-maintained footpaths bring you to the heart of the forest where trees more than 300 years old live, with beautiful names such as ' la Sentinelle ' and ' Le Chêne carré '. These trees are huge and can have a circumference of more than six meters. The forest is also host to many species of wildlife including, wild boar, deer and many birds of prey.