Gimouille walks

A hike that combines part of the circular Boucle des Mariniers and the Sentier du Bec d'Allier in the Cher with the Sentier du Passeur in the Nièvre. Information panels and bird observatories. View of the Bec d'Allier from the left bank, then from the right bank of the Allier with the double crossing of the Guétin canal bridge.

A short, easy loop to discover the Guétin Canal Bridge over the Allier and the Bec d'Allier (confluence of the Loire and Allier rivers), starting from the village of Gimouille.

A very pleasant walk in the beautiful Amognes forest, starting from the village of Saint-Martin-d'Heuille. The walk is 90% in the shade. It can be done on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback.

A very varied loop north of Bona, towards the highest point of the Monts du Nivernais (445m).

The Tronçais national forest is famous for the quality of its oak trees. It produces wood that is particularly prized for making barrels in which the finest French wines are aged. Its age and history make Tronçais the emblem of France's great national forests.

Set off to discover the traditional heritage of the wine-growing hamlets on the Saint-Andelain hill. Take the opportunity to visit the winegrowers of the Pouilly Fumé appellation and don't miss climbing to the top of the old water tower, now converted into a viewpoint, to see how far you've come and admire the view of the vineyards and the Loire.

Passing through the Colbert reserve, the route offers views of seven of the forty or so listed oak trees in Tronçais. You can see naturally shaped oaks, boundary trees such as the Saint-Louis and the Sentinelle, and forest trees with long, straight trunks, of which the Stebbing is an example.

Start the hike with a visit to the Romanesque church of Saint-Révérien, a Cluniac site, then continue to the Gallo-Roman site of Compierre, where the remains of the city are still visible and explained. After passing by ponds with the Montenoison hill in your sights, the path will take you to the village of Compierre, at the top of a hill dominated by a castle with a magnificent view at its foot.

A short family walk around the Étang de Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais pond in the heart of France's most beautiful oak forest, renowned among other things for its oak wood, which is highly sought after for the manufacture of barrels for the great vineyards. You will discover magnificent oak trees with perfectly straight trunks.

In the heart of the Tronçais Forest, a family walk along the ponds, navigating among the oak trees of the Colbert reserve.

Nestled at the bottom of the Talvanne valley, Cessy-les-Bois is classified as a Natura 2000 site due to the presence of two large bat colonies on its territory: the Greater Horseshoe Bat and the Geoffroy's Bat. Along the first two kilometres of the hike, you will find information panels explaining this local feature. In addition, a booklet is available for purchase at the Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire reception point of the Bourgogne Cœur de Loire Tourist Office.

On the agenda for a busy day: a visit to the unmissable National Centre for Stage Costumes, which alone is worth a detour to Moulins; you'll still have time to cross the Allier to stroll through the shopping streets and the historic district, perhaps visiting one or two other museums.The time indicated for this trip does not, of course, take into account visits to the various museums.

Hike through the vineyards, with beautiful views of the Loire.

A round trip on the Sentier aménagé des Castors (Beaver Trail) from Moulins, along the banks of the Allier.

A short walk along the Loire and through the valley, then along the hillside through the vineyards of Sancerre, following the old railway line connecting Cosne-sur-Loire to Bourges. Beautiful views of the river, the towns of Saint-Satur and Ménétréol, the town of Sancerre, the vineyards and the side canal. Best done in spring or autumn.

This hike in the Beuvron Valley is one of the most beautiful walks in the department. This route follows the ridgeline, connecting the Chapels of Grenois and Hubans and the site of the Virgin Mary in Asnan. It offers beautiful views, especially in spring when the countryside is in bloom.

The route runs almost exclusively through forest. Here you can see the different stages of forestry development.