Néris-les-Bains

Néris-les-Bains in the Allier département of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is one of France's most historically significant thermal spas, whose lithine and bicarbonate spring water rising at 52°C through Gallo-Roman archaeological layers has been in continuous use within a long thermal tradition for over two thousand years, with extraordinary Roman thermal baths, temples, and an amphitheatre excavated beneath the modern town attesting to the extraordinary scale of Roman investment in this spring site. The thermal water of Néris, long associated with rest and relaxation in a tradition that sets it apart from the rheumatological focus of most French thermal stations, draws visitors seeking calm to this beautifully preserved Belle Époque spa town whose casino, park, and grand thermal establishment retain the character of their nineteenth-century construction. The town's extraordinary Roman heritage, its atmospheric Victorian thermal architecture, and its distinctive character make it one of the most intellectually and historically fascinating of all French thermal destinations.