"It’s very pretty, like any village that has perfect unity" : stroll in Apremont-sur-Allier, one of the most beautiful villages in France

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It is a popular destination for cyclists. A Parisian woman arrived by train in Nevers (Nièvre) with her bike to see one of the most beautiful villages in France, Apremont-sur-Allier (Cher). A former quarry town, abandoned and completely restored by a rich industrialist in the 1930s. The houses have been renovated in the medieval style. “It’s very pretty, like any village that has perfect unity. There, the houses are all proportioned the same. It’s true that it’s France that we love.”smiles the cyclist.

The village is not the only attraction. All around reveals a fabulous garden. The floral park was created from scratch in the 1970s by the heirs of the industrialist. It is dotted with factories, small buildings very fashionable in the 18th century. It was the great-uncle of the current owner who imagined them. “The idea was to have both an educational goal and also to invite the Berrichons, the locals, to travel. And that’s why he created exotic factories. So these are factories that take you to China, to the banks of the Bosphorus or even to Russia“, explains Louise Hurstel, the owner.

Among the curiosities, the spectacle is also these Japanese cherry trees whose flowering only lasts a few days. But just behind come the stars of spring: the tulips. “Every year, we buy 500 to 600 and we reuse the others, too. We plant almost 2,000 to have different varieties, which flower at different times, at different heights,” details Tony Poupin, gardener.

Four gardeners take turns to maintain the park. Some visitors come here every year. “Every season it’s different. In May, you have the frogs who are there, who croak, the ducks, all that. It’s really splendid“, enthuses a couple. The comfort break for tourists and cyclists also includes the small tavern at the water’s edge.