The village of La Montagne on the banks of the Cher

A short hike in this village in Berry, also known as the "village of the Mountain" by locals. Its undulating paths will take you up to a hilltop overlooking a corner of the Berry Champagne region, where hedges, pollarded trees and copses mingle with agricultural plots. They will also take you down into "hell", passing through "paradise" on the way, to reach the wild banks of the Cher, where you can see some elements that bear witness to the village's history, all in a very rural setting.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.27 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 54 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 55 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 145 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 92 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking: Village square in Saint-Georges-sur-la-Prée between the church and the ochre museum.

(S/E) Take the D163 towards Dampierre-en-Graçay.

(1) In the hamlet of Le Plessis, turn left onto Chemin des Menoux, then turn left onto the path. Continue straight ahead and cross the Vierzon road (D90) with caution to take the path opposite.

(2) At the "Paradis" farmhouse, even if the map does not show it, you will come to an intersection. Turn right, there is a path.
You will also come to an intersection; turn left onto a sunken lane.

(3) At the end of the sunken lane, you will soon come to a small tarmac road. If you wish, turn right to make a slight detour to the Moulin Perriot goat farm, otherwise turn left onto the small road that leads to the banks of the Cher.

(4) Pass through a place called "l'Enfer" and its old farmhouse from a dairy farm and continue towards an old mill.

(5) After the mill, you will come to an intersection. You will see the Château de Rozay. You can take a detour by going straight ahead to get a better view! Otherwise, continue to the right along the Cher.

(6) From Rozay Castle, retrace your steps and continue left along the Cher.

(7) Pass in front of the village's old commercial port and continue straight ahead, away from the river.

(8) Turn left with the road, leaving the banks of the Cher, pass the Second World War memorial plaque and continue on the same road.

(9) Take the path on your left and follow it straight ahead. Later, at the end of this path, cross Rue des Gouais to take Rue des Vignes and make the final climb of this hike. Finish on Rue du Stade and arrive near the church (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 130 m - Village square between the church and the ochre museum
  2. 1 : km 1.19 - alt. 122 m - Hameau du Plessis
  3. 2 : km 2.93 - alt. 124 m - "Paradis" farmhouse
  4. 3 : km 3.41 - alt. 99 m - Round trip to the Moulin Perriot goat farm
  5. 4 : km 4.17 - alt. 96 m - Farmhouse of "l'Enfer" - Le Cher
  6. 5 : km 4.43 - alt. 94 m - Old mill
  7. 6 : km 4.57 - alt. 98 m - Rozay Castle
  8. 7 : km 4.98 - alt. 94 m - Former commercial port for ochre
  9. 8 : km 5.35 - alt. 93 m - Fork in the road
  10. 9 : km 6.32 - alt. 93 m - Path on the left
  11. S/E : km 8.27 - alt. 130 m - Village square between the church and the ochre museum

Notes

(7) Picnic area

Worth a visit

(S/E) Ochre Museum (The museum will introduce you to eight centuries of history surrounding ochre, the village's former specialisation).
(2) You are in a place called "Le Paradis" (Paradise), where you will see the ruins of an old farmhouse, probably belonging to the former dairy farm of Rozay.
(3) Moulin Perriot goat farm, selling goat's cheese at the farm.
(4) This old farmhouse, larger and better preserved than the one seen previously, is located in a place called "l'Enfer" (Hell). It was probably also part of the former dairy farm of Rozay.
(5) Here, the old mill still stands above the Cher River, even though its wheel is no longer there.
(6) Rozay Castle has undergone several renovations, but its origins are estimated to date fromthe fourth quarter of the 15th century to thefirst half of the 16th century.
(7) Here you arrive at the old port of Saint-Georges-sur-la-Prée, once an important trading centre, particularly for ochre, until the second half of the 19th century. It is difficult to date the origins of this port, but the village of Saint-Georges-sur-la-Prée was founded on the banks of the Cher during the reign of Charlemagne, and the Benedictine abbey of Dèvres (or Devre) was built there. In 843, the Archbishop of Bourges, Saint-Raoul, transferred the relics of Saint Perpetua to the abbey church dedicated to Saint George. After the Normans pillaged the site in 903, the monks founded the Abbey of Vierzon and took the relics there. It is possible that, due to repeated pillaging by the Normans who arrived by river, the inhabitants developed the village on higher ground for protection.
(8) You arrive here in the village of ochre works, whose economy once depended on the ochre mining industry, its trade and its ideal location for transport.
(9) Here you will find a commemorative plaque in honour of Edward Suszynski, a Polish pilot who died on 11 July 1944 fighting for the liberation of France. His Mosquito NS873 crashed at this spot. His co-pilot survived the crash and escaped before the Germans arrived. He was not so lucky.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Lacoste Mireille
Lacoste Mireille

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very well-balanced hike, with open landscapes and surprising passages. The description is accurate. We regretted not having some explanations about the history of the Berry Canal, which shaped the landscapes.

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Artiss
Artiss

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice route, but very poorly marked... and no mobile phone reception along the entire route!

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grandin
grandin ★

Nojnod

Distances are given in the "Waypoints" section.

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Nojnod
Nojnod

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lack of precision; it would be useful to give an indication of the distances to be covered between an intersection and the change of direction (e.g. then (time, distance?) turn left onto the path...and continue on the same road...).

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clementcorinne
clementcorinne

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We regret that the route is not marked with signs. There are none on the hike.
Fortunately, we had your map.

Thank you.

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Hublot18
Hublot18

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

accurate description - easy and enjoyable - a very beautiful, peaceful and lovely walk - Thank you

explanations always clear and precise
Wooded path then along the banks of the Cher and small tarmac roads but shaded
very nice - original castle -
in the village: Ochre Museum and Silk Museum - pleasant additions to the walk

Thank you and see you soon for the next hike with your advice
All the best
Perlinpinpin

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michel gillet
michel gillet

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route with varied landscapes and points of interest. Special mention goes to the remarkable Château de Rozay.

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NathanBcd
NathanBcd

Thank you for your comment! It is encouraging because it perfectly conveys the feeling I hoped this little walk would give! Thank you also for your beautiful photos.

I recommend coming back in another season to see how beautifully this landscape changes!

Thank you,

Nathan

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NathanBcd
NathanBcd

Hello, it is true that many paths cross in this area, which is also a rich heritage for "getting lost" in the countryside. I'll take note of your comment and try to provide some clarification. I thought that simply saying "turn right" when you reach the ruins of the "Paradis" house would be sufficient. I should also specify that it is necessary to print out the route and map or have the Visorando app on your phone in case you get lost.

Thank you for your comment. I hope you will have the opportunity to complete this walk, which offers different bucolic landscapes depending on the season (especially when descending towards the Cher), but which are always just as pleasant.

Nathan

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Lucilerando
Lucilerando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

2 adults
We loved our walk despite the chilly weather at the end of November. The landscape alternated between villages, market gardens, forests, rivers, castles... And we came across a few animals, including horses, sheep, goats and donkeys...
It was a bucolic walk, which allowed us to stroll at times and walk at a brisk pace at others.

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JANOU
JANOU

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Many crossroads where you don't know what to do.
No landmarks.
In short, we were never able to figure it out from the famous house, so we had to turn back.
What a shame...

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