Violay

Violay is a commune with 1338 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Loire department in the Rhône -Alpes. It is located about 10 km southwest of the small town Tarare ( Rhône) on the connecting line between Lyon and Clermont- Ferrand. The highest elevation in the town is Mont Boussièvres 1004 m altitude. The built there in 1876 Lookout Tower Tour Matagrin ( only open from June to September) provides a magnificent panoramic view of 14 surrounding departments. In the Vallée de La Truche there is a small museum on the excavations of prehistoric times in the caves located there.