Tourist guide

• AIGURANDE
  This small town must have been born under a water sign as it has become well-known for the number and the variety of wells which adorn its squares and streets.
• CHAMPAGNAT (km 66)
  Above the village, the watch tower of a former feudal castle provides a superb view of the countryside of Creuse.
• LA BOURBOULE (km 144)
  People have taken the waters at the spa since 1875. There are still many buildings with Edwardian-style architecture.
• LE MONT DORE (km 149)
  It was one the first resorts to install cable cars and the thermal baths represent its principal architectural attraction.
• BESSE
  The former residence of Queen Margot has been transformed into a skiing museum which retraces the history of technology in particular.

Download the tourist guide of the stage(6 pages, .pdf)

Download the complete tourist guide(113 pages, .pdf, 55 Mo)

François Nadaud-Guilloton, a sculptor, appreciates the calm and the isolation of the Berry countryside.

“In this rather isolated region, Aigurande is the town which has the most shops. It is one of the last somewhat active towns in the area with a very pleasant market which is held on the main square every Friday morning. As a sculptor, I like Aigurande’s granite houses, with their architecture which is typical of the region. They are very well built in my opinion. Personally, I live in the town of Orsennes, in an isolated house, which is approximately 12 kilometres away. The reason why I like this region is because it is authentic, people are available and relations are easy there.

We are also in an agricultural region with a population which has a high average age. But the senior inhabitants, who have often lived in a limited geographical area, have things to say and a view to give on the current society. They had to struggle to make wheat grow as they did not have huge machines like today. Indre is not a region which brandishes spectacular things either. Our region is rather modest, a bit hidden. People have to look for things and make an effort to discover nature. I use my bicycle to travel around and today I still like to go for rides on small roads. On the way to Fresselines, the scenery suddenly changes at the confluence of the Petite and Grande Creuse Rivers and there is a geological fracture and variations in light. In the region, several old stones can be found, megaliths and in particular dolmens. I do not necessarily go there often. But knowing that it exists is reassuring in a way. I also like the local rustic housing, with these old farmers’ houses which date back to about 150 years ago.”