The Allier Valley nature reserve

Major natural feature of the Loire basin, the river Allier remains wild and untamed along most of its course. It is in the Bourbonnais region that its personality has the most character: from Vichy to Moulins, its broad meanders change in rhythm with floods and erosion. Recognised for their international importance, these wetlands are home to a remarkable flora and fauna. Over 250 species of birds have been recorded, some of them with a high heritage value, such as the osprey, the stone curlew and the kingfisher.

Lying to the south of Moulins, the Allier Valley Nature Reserve crosses nine administrative localities (communes). The Reserve, 21 km long and ranging from 200 to 1,500 meters in width, encompasses mainly the State-owned river area and a few privately owned enclaves.

The Espace Nature du Val d’Allier, managed by the League for the Protection of Bird, is an interpretative centre, a resource to enable the discovery and understanding of the river and its environment, a centre for educational activities for children and a gateway to the Allier: the Bird Garden observatory, the Petit Opéra to learn about birdsong, slide projections depicting the cliffsides and banks of the Allier and showing lifesize views of the birds in their natural habitat, as well as thematic exhibitions. The Espace Nature du Val d’Allier is also the departure point for discovery trails to learn more about the fauna and flora of what may be Europe’s last wild river.

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