Our take
An incredible private collection, open to everyone and free. Eight rooms of minerals and fossils, a lapidary workshop: the kind of place you would never expect to find in the Allier.
A quarter of an hour from Vichy, one of the biggest private mineral collections in France: 300 m² of minerals and fossils, free entry.
A quarter of an hour from Vichy, in old Bourbonnais buildings, La Cristallière houses one of the biggest private mineral collections in France. A family story begun in 1969, which Julien Dobinet carries on today.
You wander freely over 300 m², eight rooms and some fifty display cases. Minerals, fossils, rough or polished stones, jewellery and objects carved in stone. The house's lapidary workshop cuts and polishes stones, and makes up custom jewellery.
Entry is free and no booking is needed, and nearly all the pieces are for sale, for every budget. Allow just under an hour to go round.
Our take, frankly: it is the kind of place you would never expect, and it wows young and old alike. On a rainy day near Vichy, you can't do better. In 2026, it is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 14:00 to 19:00, closed on Mondays; for the morning, call before you go.
Why we love it
- Eight rooms and some fifty display cases of minerals and fossils
- Nearly all the pieces for sale, for every budget
- The lapidary workshop, which cuts, polishes and makes up custom jewellery
- A stone to take home as a souvenir, for children and collectors alike
Top tip
You walk round the galleries freely, at your own pace. Combine it with the Vichy thermal baths, about fifteen minutes away by car, to fill half a day.
Before you go
- Free entry and no booking, self-guided visit at your own pace
- Closed on Mondays; in 2026, open Tuesday to Sunday from 14:00 to 19:00, call ahead for the morning
- The pieces on show and for sale change often: what you saw last time may no longer be there
- A quarter of an hour from Vichy, perfect on a rainy day
Practical info
- Address
- 2 Le Forestier, 03110 Saint-Rémy-en-Rollat, France
03110 Saint-Rémy-en-Rollat - MondayClosed
- Tuesday14h–19h
- Wednesday14h–19h
- Thursday14h–19h
- Friday14h–19h
- Saturday14h–19h
- Today14h–19h
Opening hours
What visitors say
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Around La Cristallière
Enough to build your day around this address.
Where to eat close by
Bar Le Drop
4.3Vichy · 4.9 km away
L'Hippocampe
4.7Vichy · 5.0 km away
Grand Marché de Vichy
4.2Vichy · 5.0 km away
Where to stay nearby
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