The Parcs d'Allier, comprising the Parc Napoléon III and the Parc Kennedy, were created by Emperor Napoléon III during his visits to Vichy from 1862 to 1866.
These new parks are located on the site of a secondary branch of the Allier that has been drained thanks to the creation of a dyke.
This vast crescent-shaped area of 130 hectares is divided in two by a road leading to the bridge over the Allier: on one side (upstream from the bridge), the Parc Kennedy, and on the other (downstream from the bridge), the Parc Napoléon III.
Parc Kennedy has been located along the boulevard of the same name since 1867. It features 337 trees, including Chinese magnolia, Osage orange, Chicot du Canada, Ginko Biloba, purple beech, Atlas blue cedar and Lebanese cedar. This verdant expanse is also adorned with a female bust. This is the bust of Mme de Sévigné, created by André Tajana in 1996. It is anchored opposite the pavilion of the same name, where legend has it she stayed during her cures. In the 1930s, the muddy banks of the Allier below were transformed into a 35-metre-long beach. Restored in 2007 and renamed the Plage des Célestins, it features a paddling pool, water jets, bathing cabins and a supervised swimming area in summer.
From 01/01 to 31/12, daily.
