Tourist guide

Loiret department

Prefecture : Orleans
Population : 648,000
WebSite : www.loiret.fr

The Loiret department holds a major communication and strategic position in France, making it a much disputed area throughout history. Its economy is mostly rural, forest and cattle providing most of its wealth. Small industries have developed around towns like Orleans and Montargis while gastronomy remains an essential fixture with specialities such as vinegar and poultry in Orleans, pastries in Pithiviers, game in Sologne, honey in Gatinais and Loire Valley wines.

CHATILLON-COLIGNY

KM 15,5 : CHATILLON-COLIGNY (Pop 1,900)

This picturesque medieval town grew around its 12th century castle built by Etienne de Sancerre on the site of an ancient Roman fort. Destroyed by the English in 1359, it was rebuilt and surrounded by elegant walls and towers that have survived in parts to this day. In 1437, Chatillon fell in the hands of the Coligny family, hence its name today. Writer Colette lived in Chatillon where she married Willy.

YONNE DEPARTMENT

Préfecture : Auxerre
Population : 352,000
WebSite : www.cg89.fr

The department draws its name from the river which cuts though it from South to North and joins river Seine in Montereau. It is Burgundy’s most dynamic department with a population growth of 0.41 pc each year leading to 350,000 inhabitants now. Numerous castles and rural tourism in the natural park of Morvan contribute to its appeal but its vineyards are also very attractive: chablis, irancy, vezelay are among the famous wine appellations in Yonne.

SAINT - FARGEAU

KM 25 : SAINT - FARGEAU (Pop 1,735)

The Tour knows St Fargeau well since a stage finished by the castle last year. First a hunting manor for Auxerre bishop Heribert, the natural son of King Hugues Capet, the castle was host to many prestigious characters throughout the centuries. Bought by Jacques Coeur in 1450, it sheltered Madame de Montpensier, dubbed la Grande Mademoiselle, when she fell out of grace in 1652. She spent five years in “exile” in St Fargeau. In 1713, the castle was bought by the Le Pelletier family. A member of the family, Louis-Michel Le Pelletier, was murdered the day before Louis XVI was beheaded on January 20, 1793. A painting by David paid homage to Le Pelletier but it disappeared and is sometimes said to be concealed somewhere in St Fargeau. French academician Jean d’Ormesson spent his childhood in the castle.

NIEVRE DEPARTMENT

Prefecture : Nevers
Population : 229,000
WebSite : www.cg58.fr

Located between the Paris region and Massif Central, Nievre is ideally placed between the regions of Burgundy; Centre and Auvergne. Bordered by the Loire river and the Morvan massif, the department is split in three distinct areas, the hilly Morvan to the East, the rural central part and a more urbanised western zone by the Loire. Most of its 221,000 inhabitants live in the Val de Loire (Nevers, Decize, Cosne-sur-Loire) but the population is stable in the rural, farming centre, hence the importance of gastronomy in the local customs. Nievre is famous for its cows and beef of the Charolais race, but also for its cheese – crottin de Chavignol – and its Pouilly wines.

SAINT-AMAND-EN-PUISAYE

KM 59,5 : SAINT-AMAND-EN-PUISAYE (Pop 1,350)

The St Amand en Puisaye castle is one of the most important Renaissance castles in the region. It was rebuilt in 1530 from a medieval castle ravaged by the Duke of Burgundy when he raided the region in 1402. The castle nowadays is home to a ceramics museum reflecting the importance of this trade in the village.

KM 88,5 : LA CHAPELLE SAINT-ANDRE (Pop 340)

The Corbelin Castle is on the town’s lands. It is characteristic with its four massive round towers (14th century), its housing body (16th century), its 18th century aisles and a more recent 19th century building. A castle existed on the spot as early as the 12th century. Between the County of Nevers and the Barony of Donzy, along the Corbelin river, it played a major part in the timber floating industry and produced steel until the 19th century. The ruins of an old furnace can still be seen. The 13th century chapel was used until 1800 and then became a barn. It was restored between 1995 and 1998.

BRINON-SUR-BEUVRON

KM 111,5 : BRINON-SUR-BEUVRON (Pop 218)

The local castle is surrounded by large moats flanked by four corner towers. Its central pavilion and main building (15th to 16th century) are especially elegant with their finely designed windows and the blazons of its owners, the Rabutin and Jaucourt families. In the 18th century, Louis de Jaucourt was one of the main sponsors and contributors to Diderot’s Encyclopaedia, writing more than 17,000 articles in Brinon.

CHATILLON-EN-BAZOIS

KM 145,5 : CHATILLON-EN-BAZOIS (Pop 975)

The first local lord was mentioned in 900 and the town’s first ruling family remained in the castle until 1360. A medieval fortress originally, it was built on a rocky hill, naturally protected by the waters of the river Aron, 20 metres below. Long seen as inviolable, the castle suffered heavy damage in the wars between King Louis XI and Charles the Bold in the mid-15the century. It was rebuilt around what was left of the dungeon. The successive landlords added a personal touch, giving the castle its present charm. The daughter of Robert Sribny has in turn lifted the gauntlet and the castle is now a guest house in which are given lessons in haute cuisine. The gardens and the park are listed among the most remarkable in France.

LE CANAL DU NIVERNAIS

The canal, 174-km long and 2.6-metres wide, links the Loire and Seine rivers through the Yonne. It goes through the Nievre department, finishes in Auxerre and comprises two bridges and 116 locks. Started in 1784, it was finished in 1842. Originally used to transport timber from Clamecy to Paris, it became a crucial traffic axis easing the development of the Yonne vales until the railroad appeared. It is now used for leisurely boating and is seen as one of the mosty beautiful canals in Europe.

SAINT-HONORE-LES-BAINS

KM 172,5 : SAINT-HONORE-LES-BAINS (Pop 846)

The virtues of St Honore’s hot waters were discovered by Julius Caesar’s troops when they invaded Gaul. The Roman baths were destroyed in 373. In 1789, a local doctor, Regnaut de Lormes, rediscovered the spring and the water was again exploited commercially in 1855 when a spa was built by marquis Antoine Theodore d’Espeuilles, whose castle is still visible on the top of a hill overlooking St Honore. The spa trend led to the building of a casino, hotels and a theatre but the activity was reduced after WW2.

LUZY

KM 195,5 : LUZY (Pop 2,000)

For cycling fans, Luzy is notable as the birthplace of Jean-Francois Bernard, third in the 1987 Tour de France, in which he won a fantastic time-trial on the Ventoux. Revealed by a stage victory in Gap the previous year, “Jeff” also won Paris-Nice, the Criterium International and stages in the Giro and Vuelta. Faithful to his native department, he launched an amateur race to his name in 2005.

SAONE-ET-LOIRE DEPARTMENT

Prefecture : Macon
Population : 571,000
WebSite : www.cg71.fr

In size, Saone-et-Loire is France’s 7th biggest French department and its population is 550,000. In the southern part of Burgundy, it is surrounded by four regions, Burgundy, Centre, France-Comte and Rhone-Alpes. Its is famous for its fine wines and its beef, the world renowned Charolais, while Bresse is noted for its chickens. But Saone-et-Loire also has a rich industrial history with coalmining in Blany and Monteceau-les-Mines, metalworking in Creusot, Gueugnon or Chalon and ceramics in Digoin, Paray-le-Mondial and Charolles.