La Ferrière (Indre-et-Loire) walks

Picking these delicious little berries provides the perfect excuse for a stroll through the fields and woods of this countryside in northern Touraine. Hamlets, mills and beautiful houses, ending with a lovely view of the village and its castle.

A pleasant walk that begins along the Étang de Nouzilly and then takes you through numerous wooded areas.

The route is fairly hilly, often through woods, around the two Petites Choisilles streams. A passage on the heights offers a pretty view of the village of Nouzilly and its wooded hills.

This route through fields and forests will allow you to discover numerous ponds, as well as the Château de Rochefort and the charming hamlet of La Roche Bourdeil.

Hillside route along the riverbanks, on foot or by mountain bike. Some of the hill climbs are a bit steep. Take your time to enjoy the route.

Pleasant walk except at the start. Beautiful valleys and woods.

Situated between the Loir and the rock on the hillside, this route allows you to discover a picturesque natural heritage, typical of the Loir Valley and its troglodyte dwellings.

A walk through fields and forests, with a few troglodytes along the way.

A pleasant walk near Chancay, exploring a lovely green setting with beautiful and varied landscapes, from hill to hill, covered in vineyards and woods. Towards the end of the route, you’ll cross a ford and traverse the Prairie plain with its ponds. A few castles from the Touraine region dot the route.

This route will take you from the world of vineyards to the defence line of the Saint-Rimay Tunnel. From cellars to blockhouses, you will also discover two restoration projects led by the Résurgence association along the way. A beautiful view of the Loir valley will accompany you for much of your journey.

Situated in the south-west of the Calais plateau, which is cut by steep-sided valleys, the village is divided by watercourses belonging to the Braye basin; the two main ones are the Charmançon and the Tusson. Its origins may date back to the Gallo-Roman period, but its history becomes clearer in the Middle Ages thanks to the discovery of coins. In the early19th century, following significant population growth, Vancé became home to a large number of craftsmen. In 1810, the village was home to thirteen weavers and twelve building tradespeople: four stonemasons, one bricklayer, one carpenter, three joiners, three shingle cutters and numerous other craftsmen catering to everyday needs.

Bessé dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time, the parish comprised numerous fiefdoms, including Courtanvaux, a parish seigneury elevated to a marquisate in 1609. The village developed particularly from the18th century onwards thanks to the establishment of pre-industrial sites, as evidenced by the cotton mill set up by Elie Savatier in 1735 (on the site of a former linen weaving mill) or the paper mill established at La Roche in 1824. The latter has since become the town’s main industrial site.

The Braye, celebrated in song by Ronsard, meets the Loir here. Whilst Bessé-sur-Braye is best known to locals for its thriving paper industry, this village in the Calais region is also home to a Renaissance gem, the Château de Courtanvaux, which is said to have hosted Henry IV. Its large wooded park is open to the public all year round, and serves as the starting point for this walk, which also takes you through lovely countryside along a small tarmac road.

Walk through fields and forests around Saint-Roch. This walk largely follows Saint-Roch footpath no. 1. The alternative route is between point (3) and point (7).

A walk through the village of Vernou-sur-Brenne and the vineyards of the Vouvray AOC. Along the way, there are several information panels about the village and wine growing.

A hike through the vineyards on the heights of the Brenne valley.

A pleasant little walk through woods and vineyards.

A route to discover the Vouvray vineyards, with their winegrowers' houses and a few manor houses, on the heights of the Loire Valley.

An urban stroll through the green spaces of Saint-Cyr and along the banks of the Loire. The pleasure of being close to Tours and Saint-Cyr whilst feeling surrounded by nature.

A hike through two valleys. It passes through the hamlet of Saint-Fraimbault and its restored chapel.

The city of Tours has three trees and a garden classified as remarkable by the A.R.B.R.E.S. association (Arbres Remarquables: Bilan, Recherche, Études et Sauvegarde - Remarkable Trees: Assessment, Research, Studies and Preservation). Discover them on this walk, which will also introduce you to other beautiful trees in Tours and several small and large public gardens. The tram connects the starting and finishing points.

Just upstream from Tours, the hillsides are covered with Vouvray vineyards. In the cliff that borders them, endless galleries provide the ideal refuge for the beautiful bubbles of the wine they house to flourish. This route allows you to wind your way between vineyards and cellars in an environment where the tuffeau stone gives each house the air of a palace.

A very beautiful walk along the Boulon Valley.

La Chapelle-Huon developed gradually from the Middle Ages onwards. Saint-André Church is a Romanesque building (11th–12th century) with a Renaissance seigneurial chapel added later. The current bell tower was built in 2000 as part of the building’s general restoration. On this occasion, contemporary stained-glass windows were added to enhance the interior. Saint-Gervais-de-Vic likely has very ancient origins. The place name ‘Vic’, from the Latin vicus, meaning village, may refer to the Gallo-Roman period. Iron slag and pottery shards, discovered during work on the railway line, are also evidence of an ancient presence. Admire the15th- and16th-century Manoir de la Béchuère, the Redonne stream and the beautiful wooded countryside. A map and full description of the route are available in the Perche Sarthois Hiking Guide (50 routes). On sale at Perche Sarthois tourist offices for €10.

A walk to discover the architectural heritage of Tours. Must-see sites, but also pretty, discreet places that I have discovered over the years.

The Île de Bondésir trail first winds its way through flora and fauna before reaching a meadow bordering the Loire. The route then climbs to the heights of the town to discover a chic neighbourhood and enjoy beautiful views from the top of the chalk cliff.

From the Botanical Garden of Tours to the Priory of Saint-Cosme, home of Ronsard (admission fee), via the Château du Plessis built by Louis XI and the banks of the Loire, take a walk to discover the green spaces of western Tours and La Riche.

The route allows you to discover the Coudre valley, then hike through the Amboise Forest and finally through the vineyards of the Montlouis AOP appellation, before returning to the other side of the Coudre.

This route takes you through both urban and rural areas, passing most of Amboise's historic sites: the Royal Castle, the Maison des Pages, the Gallo-Roman oppidum, Château-Gaillard and the Clos Lucé, all in less than two and a half hours.

Discover the Ambroise river, the Amasse, a small tributary of the Loire which flows into the river here and which was developed from 1856 onwards to prevent flooding in the town during heavy rains.

Set off on a surprising audio walk, devised by the association "L'Autre Terre Libérée", to discover Luynes through an original story. Discover the town and its surroundings through the unusual story of Louis Rimbault, who founded his "Terre Libérée" school of vegan practices in 1923. Take a stroll through the town, listening to eight sound bubbles that tell you this unusual story!

A beautiful walk through fields, woods and hamlets. Some very beautiful residences, a few old mills in the Bresme valley and a Roman aqueduct.

A short walk through meadows, heathland and woodland (with a few rural urban sections). Relatively recent yellow markings throughout the route, in the direction shown on the map only (no markings for the opposite direction).

Starting from Parc des Grillets, this pleasant hike across the plateau takes us through fields and forests to the island pond (Mazières). There is a beautiful viewpoint and on the way back, we will take the mill road through the Breuil valley before returning to the plateau and our starting point. Moderator's note added on 16/08/2021: Problem with aggressive dogs and owners at Le Chaslet, even though the path is communal. See comments at the bottom of this page.