Three-day itinerary in the castles of Bourbonnais (Allier), cradle of the House of Bourbon, for the All Saints' holiday 2026

Three days in Bourbonnais for All Saints' Day: the castles of the dukes of Bourbon, from Montluçon to La Palice

Three-day itinerary in the Allier during the All Saints' holiday: Montluçon, Hérisson, Bourbon-l'Archambault, Billy, La Palice and Thoury, on the lands of the family that gave kings to France. Before Bourbon closes on 7 November.

Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux · 15 October 2026

Allier, 3 jours

Before ruling at Versailles, the Bourbons were a family of lords settled on a rock in the Allier. Their name comes from Bourbon-l'Archambault, a spa town where three towers and a stretch of rampart still stand; their province, the Bourbonnais, corresponds almost exactly to the current department of Allier. For centuries, lords and then dukes scattered fortresses across the valleys of the Cher, the Allier and the Besbre, until the constable’s treachery in 1523 turned everything over to the royal domain. This All Saints' holiday, from 17 October to 2 November, is the perfect time to follow in their footsteps: Montluçon Castle celebrates its first year as a renovated museum, Bourbon-l'Archambault Castle closes on 7 November, and the oak forests of the bocage are ablaze with autumn colours. Here is a three-day route, from west to east, across six castles and a detour for legend lovers.

ALLIER · Bourbon-l'Archambault

Château de Bourbon-l'Archambault

The Château de Bourbon-l'Archambault is a former fortified castle, remodelled several times from the 12th to the 15th century, whose remains stand in the commune of Bourbon-l'Archambault, in the Allier. An earlier building, destroyed by Pepin the Short, was replaced as early as the 9th century; a major reconstruction took place in the 11th–12th centuries, followed by an extensive restructuring undertaken in 1288 by Robert of Clermont, sixth son of Saint Louis, after his marriage to the heiress of the Bourbonnais, which he made the cradle of the House of Bourbon. The ensemble includes a Romanesque chapel and a 13th-century Gothic chapel, as well as a Sainte-Chapelle built at the end of the 15th century by Duke John II of Bourbon to house relics deposited there from 1287. During the Revolution, the Sainte-Chapelle was damaged and most of the towers were demolished, with the exception of three northern towers and the tower known as "Qui qu'en Grogne". The lordship, later duchy, of Bourbon gave its name to the province of the Bourbonnais, which corresponds roughly to the present-day department of Allier and the south-east of the department of Cher. The château was classified as a historic monument on the list of 1862; the Qui qu'en Grogne tower was classified as a historic monument on 14 June 1961. Now managed by the Fondation Saint-Louis with the support of the commune, the site can be visited in three parts: the château and its three towers, the Qui qu'en Grogne tower (14th–15th century) and the canon's house (16th century).

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Three Bourbons who shaped these castles

Robert de Clermont

1256 - 1317

Sixth son of Saint Louis, he marries in 1272 Béatrice of Burgundy, heiress of the lordship of Bourbon. Their son Louis I becomes in 1327 the first duke of Bourbon; Henri IV descends from this line.

Louis II de Bourbon

vers 1337 - 1410

Nicknamed the Good Duke, he spends seven years in England as a hostage guaranteeing the ransom of King Jean the Good, from 1360 to 1367. On his return, he fortifies his duchy in the midst of the Hundred Years' War: rebuilding Montluçon from 1370, Hérisson in 1378. He dies in Montluçon on 10 August 1410.

Charles III de Bourbon, le connétable

1490 - 1527

Constable of France under François I, he falls into conflict with the king and his mother, Louise of Savoy, over his wife’s inheritance, then enters the service of Charles V in 1523. His assets are confiscated and the Bourbonnais joins the royal domain. He dies outside Rome in 1527, during the assault on the city by imperial troops.

The ruins of Hérisson Castle, sandstone towers overlooking the town and the Aumance valley in the Allier — Hérisson: the enceinte rebuilt by Louis II of Bourbon in 1378, dismantled in the mid-17th century. — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

ALLIER · Lapalisse

Château de La Palice

The Château de La Palice was a former stronghold commanding the passage through the Besbre valley, defended by a first fortified castle dating back to the 11th–12th century and, in the 15th century, falling under the Custom of the Bourbonnais, of the former Duchy of Bourbon. As a defensive stronghold, the Château de La Palice — like so many other strongholds lining and defending the course of the Besbre valley (Château de Thoury, Château de Beauvoir, Chavroches, Jaligny-sur-Besbre, Vieux Chambord, Précord, Châtelperron, Château de Puyfol, etc.) — belonged to the appanage of the domains of the Dukes of Bourbon and of the King of France; in the 13th–15th centuries, these strongholds were all located on the borders of the former Duchy of Burgundy, then an enemy of the Kingdom of France until 1477. At that time, the course of the Besbre river (sometimes called Besbria or Chabre) bordered the possessions of the Duke of Burgundy through the Counts of Nevers and the County of Charolais. Built on a promontory at the top of a hill and altered in several periods, the château of the first lords of La Palice or La Palisse (the town), then of the Chabannes family and several other allied families, overlooks the houses of the commune of Lapalisse, in the Allier department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

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Planning your stay

The route on the map

The route of the dukes of Bourbon

From west to east, from the Cher to the Besbre: around 180 km of driving over three days, passing through the Allier valley.

Markers follow the suggested visiting order. Select a castle to open its page.

Sources

Bourbon-l'Archambault Castle — 2026 opening hours ↗Ducal Castle of Bourbon, Montluçon — official website ↗La Palice Castle — Lapalisse Tourist Office ↗Thoury Castle — Cirkwi listing ↗Louis II, Duke of Bourbon — Wikipedia ↗Jacques de La Palice — Wikipedia ↗Bourbon-l'Archambault fortress — Le Routard ↗All Saints' holiday 2026 — iCalendrier ↗

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 1: Montluçon and Hérisson

Morning at the dukes of Bourbon’s castle in Montluçon, then drive to Hérisson (about twenty kilometres) to discover the ruins from the town. In the late afternoon, head to Bourbon-l'Archambault, about forty kilometres away, for the guided tour of the Qui qu’en Grogne Tower scheduled at 4 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday.

Château of the Dukes of Bourbon in Montluçon Château d'Hérisson Château de Bourbon-l'Archambault

Day 2: Bourbon-l'Archambault and Billy

Guided tour of Bourbon-l'Archambault’s three towers at 10 a.m., then head south (about an hour’s drive) to Billy, north of Vichy, for a guided tour by appointment. Legend lovers can venture as far as Veauce, about thirty kilometres to the west.

Château de Bourbon-l'Archambault Château de Billy

Day 3: La Palice and Thoury

It’s a twenty-minute drive from Billy to Lapalisse. Morning at La Palice Castle, then head up the Besbre valley to Thoury for a stroll through the park and around the enceinte.

Château de La Palice Château de Thoury