The best traffic-free bike rides around Vicq-Sur-Nahon

Magnificent castle and beautiful climb to reach the foot

The 15th-century Porte de Champagne is the only remaining city gate in Levroux. Originally built with the permission of King Charles VII to fortify the town, it still marks the transition between the old and newer parts of the city. During the recent restoration, the gate regained its towers and roofs, giving you a good impression of how imposing the entrance to Levroux once was. A true eye-catcher and a reminder of the town's medieval character.

For a village, Levroux boasts a church that almost has the allure of a cathedral. The 13th-century Collégiale Saint-Sylvain is not called the "petite cathédrale du Berry" for nothing. Note the details: the Romanesque side portal that once housed the sick and outcasts, the wooden stalls with humorous carvings, and the unique organ cabinet from 1502. Inside, you'll even find the banc du bourreau—the executioner's seat, marked with a red cross.

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 the 1760s, the Château de Bouges located near Valençay elegantly illustrates the arts of the 18th century. When Claude Leblanc de Carnaval bought the estate in 1765, the old building present until then was razed to make way for an “Italian-style house”. This new, up-to-date construction displays the ambition of the rich ironmaster, who managed to rise in the world of Parisian finance and was recently ennobled. Ruined twelve years later, his castle was seized and sold. During the 19th century, successive buyers included the Prince of Talleyrand and Henri Dufour, who restored the castle and had the park landscaped in the English style. The Château de Bouges owes its transformation above all to the Viguier couple: Henry, director of a Parisian department store, and his wife Renée. Acquired in 1917, the Château de Bouges regained its initial vocation as a sumptuous residence. The Viguier couple brought the castle back to life with the acquisition of exceptional furniture dating from the 18th century, which wonderfully expresses the taste for well-being and refinement specific to the society of that era in harmony with the setting. Left without descendants, they bequeathed the castle to the State in 1967. Of elegant Italian construction, the charm of this castle lies in its inhabited appearance. A visit that will transport you to the elegance of the 18th century! After visiting the castle, be sure to discover the English-style park designed by the landscaper Achille Duchêne at the beginning of the 20th century. The winding paths allow you to discover varied views of the Château de Bouges all along the walk. The stone balustrade separates the park from the French garden where boxwood embroidery and trimmed yews are bordered by lime trees. The old vegetable garden, transformed into a flower garden by Madame Viguier, is today dedicated to the cultivation of flowers used for the composition of the bouquets which adorn the rooms of the castle. A visit to the outbuildings made up of the stables, the saddlery and the orangery allows you to discover Henri Viguier's passion for horse riding.

This castle dates from the 11th century. The castle cannot be visited because it is private property, but you can admire it from the outside.

This castle has a rich history. The castle has many historic pieces of furniture, as well as a large park of around 50 hectares, alternating gardens and forests. It also played an important role during the Second World War, as a warehouse for the Louvre's works of art.