This town in southern France is a health resort, famous for its mineral springs and its bottled drinking water. During World War II, it was the headquarters of the French Nazi-collaborators. What is the name of this town?

Long before its name became associated with World War II, this town in central France was celebrated for its thermal springs. During the Belle Époque, its grand hotels and opulent architecture made it a fashionable health resort for high society, and its famous mineral water is still bottled and sold worldwide. This reputation for healing and leisure, however, was permanently overshadowed by events that took place in 1940.

Following the military defeat of France by Nazi Germany, the new collaborationist government, led by Marshal Philippe Pétain, required a new capital in the unoccupied "free zone." With its large number of hotels perfectly suited to house government ministries and administrative offices, the spa town became the de facto headquarters of the regime. Officially called "the French State," this government is known to history as Vichy France.

For four years, the town was the center of a government that actively collaborated with the Nazi occupation, including its participation in the Holocaust. Because of this dark chapter, the name "Vichy" became a powerful synonym for treason in France. While the town today remains a functioning health resort, it continues to grapple with the legacy of being the seat of power for one of the most painful periods in the nation's history.