The best traffic-free bike rides around Saint-Piat

Very nice route, 3/4 of which is in the forest. The few roads used are very quiet. The advantage of this route, if you like, is that it can easily be transformed into a mountain bike route. Just look to the right or left of the cycle path and there is a single track. Have a good trip to all those who wish to take it.

The Saint-Léger church of Houx is a religious monument located in the commune of Houx, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Although its existence is attested, the available sources do not specify either its period of construction or the architectural or historical details associated with it. This type of building, typical of small French towns, often plays a central role in local life, both spiritually and communally. In the Centre-Val de Loire, parish churches like Saint-Léger of Houx were historically essential gathering places for the inhabitants. They served not only for religious services, but also for social or civic events. Their presence generally reflects the medieval or modern organization of the villages, where the church constituted a major geographical and identity landmark.

Saint-Martin Church. This extremely modest church consists of a four-bay nave extended by a three-sided apse to the east and a sacristy to the north. It is built of rubble block, with sandstone buttresses and shell limestone surrounds. Although its history is poorly documented, it is likely that an earlier 16th-century church was enlarged and modified in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Externally, its elevation is punctuated by a short timber-framed bell tower erected in 1889-1890 above the western bay of the nave. The western façade is late: it features an 18th-century arched doorway, with the first level lit by three unequal pointed-arch windows, an addition made in 1820. On the south façade, a stone cornice runs under the roof, while a drip edge stringcourse is located one meter above the ground. Two of the apse windows were blocked during the installation of the great altarpiece. In 1890, when the spire was moved, the first bay of the nave underwent some modifications: the western wall was lined internally with another wall in which three large arches were cut; in the space thus delimited, two chapels were created on the ground floor, on either side of the entrance door, and a small gallery on the first level, while a staircase provided access to the bell tower. The interior of the church was furnished and decorated in the late 18th century. and during the Restoration: the Visitation altarpiece (1815-1820) dates from this period. Some statues, including four wooden evangelists, came from the old tabernacle. Statues of Saint Martin and Saint James were placed in the side niches of the altarpiece. The Sauvegarde de l'Art français (French Art Protection Agency) contributed €30,490 to the roofing work on the building in 2002.

King Francis I died there. In 1804, Napoleon took possession of a castle in poor condition due to the Revolution. He had important work done there. When the monarchy was restored in 1815, Louis XVIII reinvested the castle and undertook some work. More than half of the Presidents of the Republic have stayed there. A true haven of peace, the place is ideal for combining family life and high-level diplomatic meetings, in a relaxed style.

Worth a detour. Cycling inside the parc is permitted. For the castle check the opening hours and beware of the typical French lunch breaks, even on weekends.

Very beautiful church and the public toilets next to it are perfect, even for filling water bottles too large for the classic sinks.

Composed of a Romanesque nave with flat buttresses placed symmetrically on each side (typical of the end of the 11th century or the first half of the 12th century), it was completely remodeled in the 16th century and the end of the 20th century. The bays of the nave are from the 15th century, in flamboyant Gothic style, as is the rose window. The span of the bell tower and the choir, with ribbed vaults, date from the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th century. As early as the 16th century, the bell tower had a clock, quite rare and expensive for the time. The pillars of the central bay are richly molded and crowned with thin bands of foliage serving as capitals. The windows are decorated with flamboyant tracery of varied designs. The Romanesque portal was also remodeled in the 16th century. The powerful central bell tower with buttresses [formerly had three bells named PIC DAN JON. There will only be one left after the Revolution, the other two having been melted down to make cannons and ammunition.

The Fondation d'Aligre et Marie-Thérèse establishment, which is in fact an "Accommodation Establishment for Dependent Elderly People", has the possibility of offering pleasant accommodation for 144 elderly people. It is also an archaeological site, where some sculptures of ancient objects have been recovered.