Nestling by the riverside, at the heart of the Allier Gorges, the pretty village of Lavoûte-Chilhac is made up of two clearly distinct neighborhoods, connected by an old stone bridge with several arches.
The first one, built in a bend of the River Allier, includes the ruins of an old castle that was replaced by a Cluniac priory. The priory's buildings, many of which are from the late 18th century, are arranged around the Priory Church of the Holy Cross (Sainte-Croix).
The second neighborhood, nestling on the left bank and backing onto the rocks, is dotted with riverside houses that have high façades to guard against flooding.
Water sports are everywhere in Lavoûte-Chilhac, with a canoe-kayak center and fishing opportunities in the clear waters of the Allier.
Also worth a look is the Chilhac Paleontology Museum, with its collection of fossils of mammoths, mastodons, rhinoceroses and other mammals... dating back two million years!
