The best walks and hikes around Fresnes

Small castle away from the crowds in a small sleepy town.

Located in the heart of the Loire Valley, the castle of Fougères-sur-Bièvre built at the end of the 15th century is the image of the ideal fortified castle with its keep, its machicolated entrance curtain and its fortified postern. Built by Pierre de Refuge and modified by Jean de Villebresme around 1520, the castle acquired its definitive appearance in three generations and will retain it. A castle designed for entertaining, its defensive Gothic architecture allows Pierre de Refuge to assert his social status and his belonging to the French nobility. Acquired by the Lambot family in 1738, René Lambot had the idea of creating a spinning mill in the castle from 1813 to 1901. This made it possible to largely preserve it from revolutionary damage and to maintain life and activity there. Classified as a historic monument in 1912, put up for sale after the stock market crash of 1929, the castle of Fougères-sur-Bièvre was acquired by the State in 1932. The castle of Fougères-sur-Bièvre has a double face: an entrance facade with a particularly defensive Gothic appearance and a courtyard facade decorated with Renaissance decorations. Particularly well preserved, the castle today remains very close to that of 1525-1530 with its military exterior facade, the civil and domestic architecture of its interior courtyard and its medieval interior plan with rooms in a row without distribution corridors. The castle of Fougères-sur-Bièvre stands out from the great castles of the Loire by its sober and powerful architecture, very little altered over the centuries. It illustrates the art of building in the region with its walls made of limestone rubble from Beauce and its sculpted parts in tuffeau from the banks of the Cher. Young and old alike will easily find all the military attributes and the interior layout of a particularly well-preserved small castle from the end of the 15th century.

Built in a Classical style, the Cherveny castle has belonged to the same family for more than six centuries, the Huraults, financiers and officers in the service of several kings of France. The current castle was built around 1625 by Henri, son of Philippe Hurault, and his wife Marguerite Gaillard de la Morinière. They launched the construction of the current castle and entrusted the execution of the work to the architect Jacques Bougier. He uses “Bourré stone”, a stone from the Cher valley which has the particularity of whitening and hardening as it ages. Sobriety and symmetry characterize the Château de Cheverny, a precursor of the French style which established itself under the reign of Louis XIV. The work is of such magnitude that it will not see the end of the project. Their daughter Elisabeth, Marquise de Montglas, completed the interior decoration which was entrusted to Jean Monier. During the following hundred and fifty years, the Château de Cheverny changed owners several times. In 1825, Anne Denis Hurault, Marquis de Vibraye, bought the property from her ancestors. The Château de Cheverny, which has always been inhabited, presents remarkably well-preserved pieces of furniture and interior fittings. The first floor apartments bear witness to the French art of living. An English-style park and gardens surround the Château de Cheverny. Visitors can discover the Jardin des Apprentis, a contemporary designed garden created in 2006 which was inspired by the found plans of an old French garden and the vegetable garden, designed by the Marquise de Vibraye, it combines the use original of different colored materials, vegetables and flowers. The Garden of Love, created in 2019, presents six monumental statues by Gudmar Olovson which reflect Love in all its forms. Cheverny constitutes a heritage of stones, land but also of tradition with venery or hunting with hounds. The Cheverny crew was founded in 1850 by the Marquis de Vibraye. Nowadays, in the Cheverny forest and neighboring forests, the crew harvests exclusively deer. Every day, from April to September 14, subject to reservations, at 11:30 a.m., visitors can attend the dog meal. The Château de Cheverny inspired the Château de Moulinsart to the Belgian comic book author, Hergé. The Domaine de Cheverny and the Hergé Foundation have joined forces to create and set up a permanent exhibition on the theme: the secrets of Moulinsart.

In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful castles in the region. If the aesthetics of the castle are not stunning, this private castle is in an absolutely sublime state of conservation. Everything you see there is from the period (17th century), has been very little restored, will take your breath away! The Château de Cheverny inspired Hergé to create the Château de Moulinsart, in The Adventures of Tintin If there were only two castles to see this would be one of them (the other being the Château de l'Islette in Azay-le-Rideau). Take the detour, cross France to see Cheverny, you will not regret your trip!

The Etang de Salais belongs to one of these paradises for fisherman. Dug at the exit of the large wood of Saint-Lomer, you will find many rods in search of carp. The place is also of a relaxing calm that invites you to take a siesta.

The wood of Saint-Lomer is a vast forest with abundant fauna and flora. The absence of a main road and the structure of its land (made of swamp and sediment) allows nature to exalt itself. Take the time to walk there and why not, to get lost.

The first constructions of the fortified castle of Fougères-sur-Bièvre date back to the 15th century. Of Gothic architecture, it was classified as a historical monument in 1912. It is currently owned by the State. The castle is open to the public during tourist seasons. More information on: https://www.fougeres-sur-bievre.fr.

The Château de Cheverny, known to Hergé aficionados as Moulinsart, was built in the 17th century in a strictly classical style. Listed as historical monuments since 1926, it is open to the public. More information on: https://www.chateau-cheverny.fr.