48 hours in and around Roanne
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes/2026
Roanne, N7... Before 1970, a time that no one under sixty can even imagine. Vacations in the South passed through Roanne, the A6 freeway had not yet been completed, the whole of northern France joined the N7 and Parisians, at Montargis, Briare, Nemours, whether you came from Brittany, Normandy, Lille or Reims. The stream of travelers took the royal road sung by Trenet, passing through Nevers, Moulins and then Roanne..
It's been a gastronomic landmark ever since the Troisgros brothers, Jean and Pierre, pushed the Hôtel Moderne, opposite the station, towards the firmament, notably with their recipe for salmon with sorrel, hailed by Henri Gault and Christian Millau as a pioneering recipe of Nouvelle Cuisine.Aspiring young chefs dreamed of working there, Guy Savoy met Bernard Loiseau, and our Académicien remembers this blessed era fondly:" We were driven towards excellence, we gave our all during service to achieve it, and in our spare time, we sometimes went to basketball where the Chorale de Roanne played, a great club that was then part of the elite."As with soccer in Saint-Étienne, there was, and still is, a team spirit and solidarity in Roanne that binds the inhabitants together, proud of their textile industry, their factories and their gastronomy .
For the Troisgros family is not alone in Roanne. Auguste Pralus opened his patisserie in Roanne in 1948 and became Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1955. His chocolates and praline brioche are now known the world over. Hubert Mons sells his cheeses at the Roanne market, and by the early 1960s, the family was also one of the world's most famous cheesemakers, represented by third-generationJules Mons. Finally, since last November, César Troisgros (who has lived in Ouches for 8 years), has become the58th Gault&Millau Chef of the Year, after his grandfather Pierre in 1987 and his father Michel in 2003. This award recognizes not only a dynasty, but also the virtue of transmission, loyalty and attachment to a region. Today, we leave the north-south axis to come back and savor César's cuisine, but also to rediscover the atmosphere of work well done and fraternity that animates an entire town .
It's only natural tovisit Roanne with passion and relish, taking in the handsome townhall, the ancient castle keep, the beautiful golden-stone church of Saint-Étienne, and thetown hall.tienne church in gilded stone, and the surrounding old houses, including the one housing thetourist office and the Joseph Déchelette museum, devoted to fine art and archaeology. Stroll along the banks of the Loire and canal, the Place des Promenades park and, for a refreshing stroll a little further afield, the shores of Lake Villerest. You can also discover the wines of the Côte-Roannaise, an AOC since 1994 and a naturalchoice for local restaurants, with Gamay as the only grape variety. The appellation covers 14 communes around Roanne.
