Chateauroux / La Chatre

Nature follows you beyond the river and the ramparts of the city, in the heart of the state forest of Châteauroux, the largest oak grove in France. The one which extends mainly over the communes of Ardentes and Poinçonnet over more than five thousand hectares offers you a pleasant course in the undergrowth. This will take you from the charming little Romanesque church of Saint-Martin d'Ardentes to the pretty windows and keystones of the Saint-Maximin church in Jeu-les-Bois. Ornithology enthusiasts will be seduced by a slight detour to the pond of Lys-St-Georges and its bird observatory.

The rest of the route invites you on a literary and sporting journey, where you will pass from the plains of Champagne Berrichonne to the hilly landscape of Boischaut Sud. A route where you will never be alone, surrounded by the novelist George Sand; it is she who will guide you through her bocage country which she liked to call “La Vallée Noire”. At the different stages, you will rediscover the memory of this committed woman, thanks to the many sites that served as frameworks for her novels. 

Here we go in the direction of Mers-sur-Indre, place of inspiration of George Sand for her novel “La Mare au Diable”. A short detour to Lys-St-Georges is strongly recommended, there you can have lunch at a "gourmet table of Berry", discover the XNUMXth century castle where Ludovic Sforza languished for eighteen months and contemplate a very vast panorama over the valley.
At the Moulin d'Angibault time has stood still; a rural break at the foot of the mill wheel is a must. Unless you prefer the freshness of the church of Vic; behind its large bell tower hide magnificent frescoes dating from the XNUMXth century. 

In Saint-Chartier, you will meet Tiennet or José, bagpipe players and heroes of the novel "Les Maitres Sonneurs", who have gone in search of music on a long initiatory journey that will take them from the cellars of the castle to the Bourbonnais!
Your next stop is the village of Nohant. Homeland of George Sand since her childhood, the National Estate is one of the must-see places to visit. You will find guides passionate about this great lady, a house on a human scale that has hosted so many celebrities and a park of more than 5 hectares. The footsteps of the novelist will take you to La Châtre, where she regularly visited her friends from Berry.