Arthun: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

The route along the GR 765 Way of St. James between Cluny and Le Puy-en-Velay passes through Arthun.

Those who choose Arthun as their destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment.

Nature

Founded in 1987, the Réserve de Biterne covers 38 hectares. It consists of three ponds surrounded by meadows and bocage and is a bird sanctuary in Arthun. It serves as a refuge for migratory birds along their route between northern and southern Europe.

A freely accessible, easy out-and-back trail of less than 2 km runs through the area. Three observation points allow visitors to observe the ponds and wild waterfowl.

The Maison des étangs du Forez opened in 2012 in a renovated former rammed-earth farmhouse. It offers a one-hour, self-guided investigation in the role of a journalist, leading through six themed areas, including an observatory. Admission to the exhibition at the Maison des étangs du Forez and/or to the observatory on the upper floor is free for individual visitors.

Culture and History

The parish church of Notre-Dame, later Saint-Barthélemy, has been recorded among the possessions of Cluny since 981–982. Its present chancel bay may date from the 11th century. The church features polychrome decoration with ashlar imitations on the walls, as well as foliage with ears of grain and grapes, lily motifs on the archivolts, and billet ornament on the chamfers of the arches.

Around 1780, the 16th-century house at the Domaine de Beauvoir was replaced by a château in the Louis XVI style, built by the Italian architect Pietro Antonio Gabbio. The Domaine de Beauvoir is protected by listings as a historic monument dated 4 September 1990 and 4 July 2007.

Visiting

The Château de Beauvoir is privately owned and not open to the public.

Other places in the same area: Saint-Jean-La-Vêtre, La Valla-En-Gier, Palogneux, Juré, Saint-Nizier-Sous-Charlieu, Nervieux, Rive-De-Gier, Le Chambon-Feugerolles.

To the higher-level travel overview: Loire.