The architect's eye view

Description

You can't go to Chandigarh in India to admire Le Corbusier's work? Too far away, no time? No worries, the solution is just a few minutes from Saint-Étienne, on the Firminy-Vert site.

Here you will the second largest concentration of the architect's work in the world. No less! Maison de la Culture, Unité d'Habitation, church, municipal stadium... it's a whole mini-town made by Le Corbusier himself! If the wonders of concrete leave you cold, no need to panic. The Ondaine and the area to the west of Saint-Étienne are full of special features that give them their own strong character. Over at Roche-la-Molière, they don't hesitate to express themselves on façades of the town's buildings. Every year, the town hosts the SAFIR, the Street Art Festival In Roche La Molière, which is attended by everyone who's anyone in street art. Grandiose? Yes, definitely, just as much as the region's castles that are open to the public. Such as the Château des Bruneaux in Firminy with its famous eco-museum, or the Château de Roche-la-Molière and its exhibitions on the local mining heritage. And to finish on a sweet note, we recommend you try honey sweets, a Loire Gorges speciality – they are a delight.