Vichy

Vichy (, French: [viʃi]; Occitan: Vichèi [viˈtʃɛj]) is a city in the central French department of Allier. Located on the Allier river, it is a major spa and resort town and during World War II was the de facto administrative capital of Vichy France. Its population is about 25,000. Known for its mineral springs since the Roman times, Vichy had become a major destination for the French nobility and the wealthy by the late 18th century. The town developed further under the patronage of Napoleon III. Following the 1940 armistice, the pro-German collaborationist government headed by Philippe Pétain was set up at Vichy, which remained the de facto capital of the French rump state for the next four years. After the war, the city experienced a period of great prosperity but went into decline from the 1960s. In 2021, the town became part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Great Spa Towns of Europe" because of its famous baths and its architectural testimony to the popularity of spa towns in Europe from the 18th through 20th centuries.