Montbrison

The capital of the county of Forez until it passed to the duchy of Bourbon, Montbrison, in the Loire, has kept from that prosperous period a remarkable Gothic collegiate church, Notre-Dame d'Espérance, while a 17th-century Baroque dome dominates the round-tiled roofs typical of the region.

The town, at the foot of the Forez mountains, has kept a historic centre of narrow lanes and volcanic stone houses, with some remains of the counts' castle. Every autumn the Fourme de Montbrison festival celebrates one of the region's best-known cheeses, and the nearby Forez mountains offer many hiking opportunities among summer pastures and high moorland.

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