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A day of sport and leisure in Vichy from Gannat

Published 25 August 2021

From Gannat, Vichy is 20 to 25 minutes away via the A719. Once there, the sports facilities are concentrated around the Lac d'Allier: tennis and padel courts at the Sporting, a multi-sports park, an aquatic centre and a lake for sailing or canoeing. Here is how to organise an active day without wasting time.

The Sporting: tennis and padel beside the Allier

The historic Sporting site, on the banks of the Allier, was renovated and reopened in July 2025 as Sporting Vichy Tennis Padel. It offers:

• 13 tennis courts, including outdoor and covered clay courts, and floodlit acrylic courts;
• 12 padel courts, six in a covered hall and six outdoors along the river;
• a clubhouse with a bar and light meals.

The courts are open to both members and non-members, by the session, with booking on the TenUp app. For padel, public slots are mainly at lunchtime, in the evening and at weekends: book before leaving Gannat, especially on Saturdays.

The neighbouring restaurant and swimming pool are run separately, with their own opening hours: check they are open before planning lunch on site.

The Lac d'Allier: run, cycle, sail

The Lac d'Allier stretches for about 2.5 km between the Bellerive bridge and the barrage bridge. A loop of about 6 km goes all the way round via the Parc Napoléon and the esplanade: it is suitable for running, rollerblading and cycling, with free access all year round.

On the water, several organisations welcome the public:

• the Club Nautique de Vichy for sailing, water skiing, wakeboarding and paddleboarding;
• Vichy Aventure for canoe and kayak hire and other outdoor activities;
• a river shuttle that crosses the lake between Vichy and Bellerive-sur-Allier in about ten minutes.

Water sports depend on the season and the water level: check current opening times with the Vichy tourist office.

Multi-sports park and aquatic centre

On the Bellerive bank, the Pierre-Coulon multi-sports park brings together many high-level facilities. The general public can notably play an 18-basket disc golf course there.

Nearby, the Bellerive-sur-Allier aquatic centre is a good option in bad weather: indoor competition pool, learner pool, relaxation area and water slide. In summer, an outdoor pool and grassy sunbathing areas are added. Opening times and prices vary by period: check before you come.

Planning your day from Gannat

A simple programme for a full day:

1. Morning: a tennis or padel session booked in advance at the Sporting.
2. Lunchtime: a picnic by the lake or lunch in the centre of Vichy, a few minutes away.
3. Afternoon: a walk or bike ride round the lake, then canoeing or paddleboarding depending on the season, or the aquatic centre if it rains.

With children, the aquatic centre and canoeing are more popular than the courts; our article Gannat with the family gives other ideas closer by. If you are coming without a car, our guide getting to Gannat by train or car explains the connections with Vichy.

Stay in Gannat and explore

Staying in Gannat lets you enjoy Vichy during the day and come back to peace and quiet in the evening, with the Sioule gorges or Charroux within easy reach the next day. For a team or group coming to play a tournament, La Grande Maison Gannat can be rented in full for up to 10 people, with a garden and parking. Our other apartments and houses in Gannat can be booked from one night, cleaning and linen included. Our property map helps you choose the most convenient one for the A719.