VICHY the Queen of Water Cities 1930 Magazine AdvertisementVichy has been known as a spa and resort town since the late 1800s. Unfortunately this has been overshadowed by the fact that it became the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944. Prior to this, it was referred to as the "Queen of spas" or the "French Bayreuth". The city really came onto the map when discovered by Napoleon III in 1861. The Emperor came back to the city every year to make use