Galeries du Fer à cheval

You'll love this place, with its hospital spring and bandstand serving as a central axis; almost a timeless icon, so cherished by photographers... On a commercial level, you'll find everything in the horseshoe that you won't find anywhere else: antique shops, Madame's clothes, African art, picture framers and dealers, a family tea room with painted decor, lighting and furniture stores...

The other central axis of the horseshoe, although it doesn't fit this geometric definition, is the "Les Enfants d'Edouard" boutique. The owner has expanded the walls of her clothing boutique, gradually buying up the stores that adjoined this beautiful turn-of-the-century gallery. She had the good sense not to touch anything, except to add "her" warm touch to make you feel at home: sofas await the gentlemen while the ladies try on clothes behind a frail screen.

UNESCO heritage
Like many exceptional buildings of this era, this shopping arcade, divided into 2 quarter-circles, was designed in 1889 by the architects Charles Lecœur and Lucien Woog. Eleven years later, the final touch was put: the gallery's 2 commas were joined by a rest room (demolished in 1944).
The 26 stores, some with staff quarters and a second window on the street side, are served by a covered gallery which, a few years later, would continue in its eastern section, towards the hall of springs and up to the opera house.
The complex has preserved its original appearance, making it a place of timeless charm and elegance, emblematic of Vichy commerce.
The least we can say is that this gallery, known colloquially as the "horseshoe" by the people of Vichy because of its shape, has been a boon to the development of the spa town.

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