The factories along the Durole river are almost built right on top of it. Bridges and piping span the river gorge and connected the factories and their workers.

Many of the derelict factories along the factory row still contain steel billets, grind stones, or half finished blades.

Thiers prospered with the industrialization of the cutlery trade. The Durole river provided abundent free energy to power the cutler’s forge hammers, grindstones, and polishing wheels. Most of the original factories are all still standing with the Usine du May as a public musum to their operation and history.

The few churches in Thiers are among the oldest buildings in the city.

There’s over one hundred cutlers still operating in Thiers. Many of them have artisan shops in the city center to sell knives of all varieties and sizes.

Thiers is situated on a mountain face with the Durole river around it’s edges. The roads can be quite steep and small hidden foot paths throughout the city can draw a path uphill quickly.

Thiers is an old medieval town. Records of the cutlery trade’s beginning date back to the 11th century. The city center is the oldest part of town and still has remnants of the original fortified walls.