Vallée des Usines

The Vallée des Usines (lit. French for Valley of Factories) is the name given to part of the Durolle valley, mainly located in the commune of Thiers in the French department of Puy-de-Dôme and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The area is known for its long industrial past, as the power of the Durolle river has been harnessed here since the Middle Ages. The middle of the 20th century saw the departure of companies to the plains of the lower town of Thiers. From 1985, when the Creux de l'Enfer contemporary art center opened in a former knife making factory, the valley found a cultural and touristic vocation, with several factories turning to various activities of this type since the beginning of the 21st century. In 2021 the municipality of Thiers announced that major projects for the conversion of abandoned factories were being studied in the valley, notably in conjunction with the Fondation du Patrimoine and the Stéphane Bern Mission.

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