Le Crozet, Medieval village in Loire, France
Le Crozet is a village in Loire situated at approximately 450 meters (1,475 feet) above sea level with stone buildings, fortified walls, and a tower overlooking the Roannais region. The paved streets connect these structures and form a tightly built village layout.
The village was founded between the 11th and 12th centuries as a fortified castle and served as a strategic point controlled by the viscounts of Mâcon. Its position made it an important trading location during the Middle Ages.
The Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, housed in a 16th-century building with towers, displays local crafts and everyday objects from the region. The collection shows how people here lived and worked in earlier times.
The village can be explored on foot with marked walking trails and family-oriented Randoland routes that wind through the streets. These paths combine walking with stops at historical spots throughout the settlement.
The village preserves the recipe for the Elixir of Crozet, a medicinal drink made from local plants and fruits that was once created for Catherine de Medici. This old formula remains guarded today and reflects the medical knowledge of that era.
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