Romans and Gauls first discovered Vichy’s springs, founding the town of Aquis Calidis near the Allier River. By the 8th-9th centuries, a primitive thermal establishment operated between two settlements, with a monastery nearby.

In the 17th century, King Henri IV commissioned Vichy’s first modern baths, starting its tradition as a royal spa town. Princesses Victoire and Adélaïde, daughters of Louis XV, promoted major transformations in 1785, improving roads and thermal facilities. Laetitia Bonaparte, mother of Napoleon I, also visited in 1799, bringing further development.

Under Napoléon III, Vichy entered its First Golden Era. He transformed the town into the "Queen of the Water Cities," developing thermal facilities, hotels, and elegant villas. The Allier riverbanks were redesigned, and the famous Emperor’s cottages were built. By 1862, Vichy’s bottling industry was established, and the population surged with the rise of spa tourism.