In the south of the Forez plain, about fifteen kilometres from Saint-Étienne, Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert straddles the Loire at the bottom of the Gorges de Grangent. At 15,000 inhabitants, the sixth-largest town in the Loire department strikes the perfect balance between urban and rural life.
Its historical centre is packed with heritage sites, including the biggest Romanesque church in the Loire, a 16th-century timber-framed house and a priory.
Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert is also a centre of excellence thanks to the know-how of businesses that keep traditional crafts alive, such as La Verrerie (which made stained-glass windows for the Palace of Versailles and the White House) and Julien Faure (luxury ribbons for Dior and Chanel), as well as cutting-edge companies such as Eurotab (European leader in powder compression) and Sigvaris (French medical compression leader). It capitalises on its connection to nature, particularly the wild gorges of the Loire and the Étang David, a Natura 2000-listed sensitive natural site.