Nades combines forest trails with Romanesque architecture and a brief, clearly dated history of its château. The “Les bois de Nades” circular hike winds through hilly forests between Nades and La Bosse. The Église Saint-Jacques is Romanesque; the Château de Nades was built in 1855 and destroyed by fire on 7 October 1877. The route is 7.5 kilometres long and of moderate difficulty; it passes the town hall, loops around a pond and then climbs uphill. In the communal forest, coppiced oak and beech woodland stands alongside planted conifer stands.

Forest Landscapes and Trails

The Forêt communal de Nades lies on the edge of the Combrailles, a hilly granite massif between the Allier and Puy de Dôme. In the communal forest, coppiced oak and beech woodland meets planted conifer stands.

The forest is included in a Zone Naturelle d'Intérêt Écologique, Faunistique et Floristique in the Massif des Colettes. The trails in the Forêt communal de Nades are considered particularly attractive thanks to the changing scenery of coniferous and deciduous woodland.

The Les bois de Nades Circular Hike

The “Les bois de Nades” circular hike is of moderate difficulty and 7.5 kilometres long. It passes the town hall, loops around a pond and then climbs uphill. The pond is therefore one section of the route, not its only described waypoint; the climb that follows is also part of the hike.

The route winds through hilly forests between Nades and La Bosse, beneath Douglas firs and beech trees.

Romanesque Architecture in Nades

The Église Saint-Jacques is a Romanesque church with a single-nave body. It consists of four bays of unequal size. It also has a three-sided apse and two semicircular chapels, which together form a transept. An octagonal bell tower rises above the crossing of this transept. A bay is a section of the nave; the crossing is the area where the nave and transept meet. The transept runs across the nave. The apse forms the end of the church interior and, in this case, has three sides; the two semicircular chapels are part of the transept.

The church is partially listed as a historic monument. The west façade and the first bay of the nave are excluded from the listing. It was listed by decree on 5 May 1975.

The Château de Nades: Two Historical Dates

The Château de Nades was built in 1855 by the Duc de Morny. It was destroyed by fire on 7 October 1877. Just over two decades passed between its construction in 1855 and its destruction by fire on 7 October 1877. The Église Saint-Jacques is Romanesque; the Château de Nades represents a 19th-century history of construction and destruction.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Château-Sur-Allier, Trévol, Bourbon-Lʼarchambault, Besson, Saint-Pourçain-Sur-Sioule, Saint-Gérand-Le-Puy, Boucé, Sanssat.

For the main travel overview: Allier.