Charles de Gaulle Street

Shopaholics, unite! Roanne’s city centre is the place to be! Here, you’ll find all the most famous brands, alongside a rich historical heritage in what is now known as Charles de Gaulle Street. Along with Maréchal Foch Street a little further down, it is one of the city’s most important thoroughfares, as it was the link between Paris and Lyon until recently. It was, of course, a much-used trade route at the time! It quickly developed into an attractive thoroughfare, with shops of all kinds encouraging more and more people to visit Roanne. The street followed the layout of the town’s fortifications. Before the French Revolution, it was divided into 3 separate streets, each bearing different names that have evolved over the centuries.  It later became École Centrale Street, Lycée Street, and then Charles de Gaulle Street in 1944. Nowadays, it still features some magnificent private mansions that belonged to the wealthy people who lived there. The street also features a host of well-known shops, such as Pralus at No. 8, where you’ll find the excellent Praluline, Bertrand Chocolatier at No. 44, and Révillon, opposite the church of Saint-Étienne, where you’ll be delighted to sample its chocolate papillotes. Well, we’ll let you enjoy this lively and historic street, but don’t forget to take a look at the remarkable buildings that line it!