Saint-Nicolas-Des-Biefs: Hotels and Accommodation
Accommodation in Saint-Nicolas-Des-Biefs
The Foyer de ski de la Verrerie rents out cross-country skis, snowshoes, Ski-Hok equipment and sledges. If you choose Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs as your place to stay, you may want to find and book a hotel here.
File:Entrée de Saint-Clément par la D 120 depuis Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs (route) 2023-08-22.JPG
Photo: Tabl-trai via Source, CC BY-SA 4.0
Winter
In Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs, there are six starting points for hiking at Camping des Myrtilles and four at the cross-country skiing centre. Cani-rando, a hike with a leashed dog, is offered for adults and children.
Nature
The Tourbière de la Verrerie covers 55.67 hectares and lies at an elevation between 994 and 1,028 metres. It contains a raised bog with protected flora, including round-leaved sundew. The area of the Tourbière de la Verrerie also includes the municipality of Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs.
On the Plateau de la Verrerie, numerous marked paths lead through a preserved peatland landscape. From there, there are views of the Côte Roannaise and, in clear weather, of the Mont Blanc massif and the Chaîne des Puys.
Culture
The Musée du Verrier tells the story of the settlement of glassmaking families, the “Gentilshommes Verriers”, in 1660 and of the forest glassworks they founded, whose furnaces operated until 1780. The museum includes an archaeological section with a historically reconstructed glass furnace installation built to scale. The glass gallery displays unusual objects from numerous French and foreign glassworks.
The village church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs has luminous stained-glass windows and wooden statues.
Activities
Camping des Myrtilles is an FFCT-labelled base for mountain biking, with routes of 13, 16, 25 and 40 km. PR11 “La Pierre Châtel” is a 4.5 km hike lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes that starts at the church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs.
The Pierre Châtel climbing area has 134 routes spread across 14 sectors and four rock formations. It is located in the Espace Naturel Sensible des Hêtres tortueux, an area designated as a sensitive natural area, and offers views of the valleys of the Galant and the Sapey.
The HĂŞtres tortueux area contains numerous beech trees, some arranged in rows, that are around 400 years old and have twisted shapes. These forms, the gnarled beeches, are the result of the traditional hedge-laying technique known as plessage.
Local
Finot is part of the programme at the annual village festival of Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs. This traditional clogmakers’ dish is prepared with potatoes and bacon as its main ingredients. In the morning, visitors can take part in its preparation by peeling potatoes.
Saint-Nicolas-des-Biefs was the starting point of the Festival de musique des Monts de la Madeleine in 2003, where concerts are held every summer.
Other local pages: Laprugne, Lavoine, La Chabanne.
For the higher-level travel overview: Allier.
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