Historic bike ride along the Berry Canal - Loir & Cher

Arrival or Check-out in the early afternoon is from Selles-sur-Cher.

Swans that take flight on the Berry Canal on the Gièvres side.

The gate where we will start or end our historic walk in Mennetou-sur-Cher. On the left, we can see the priory.

The place in front of the rue Bonne Nouvelle in Mennetou-sur-Cher for the Check-out of the morning visit or the arrival of the afternoon visit.

Saint-Urbain church in Mennetou-sur-Cher. This Roman Catholic building dates back to the 11th century for the bell tower, with a 13th century Angevin Gothic chancel and a 15th century nave.

The lower door (10 m x 8 m) dates from 1212 (Hervé II de Vierzon), with modifications in the 15th century: machicolation, bay and fireplace; protected by foothills against floods of the Cher.

It directly adjoins the remains of the Benedictine Priory (pavilion with staircase turret).

It is a rectangular tower without a roof.

The priory seen from inside the medieval city.

Historic bike ride along the Berry Canal - Loir & Cher

The “press” refers to the house of the commonplace press (or seigneurial press), located in the rue du Pressoir (Ruette du Pressoir), near the church of Saint-Urbain.

It was the communal press where villagers came to press their grapes, in a medieval winemaking tradition that persisted until the 19th century (abundant vineyards in Sologne-Berry).

The remains of Mennetou-sur-Cher Castle consist of a few sections of surviving walls, with fireplaces and access doors.

The remains of Mennetou-sur-Cher Castle were gradually destroyed: the beginning of ruin in 1791 (sale into national property, advanced dilapidation), and major destruction around 1920.

The tithe barn (or tithe barn) of Mennetou-sur-Cher is the former tithe house, a stately warehouse for storing agricultural tithes (1/10th of the harvest).

The castle resists the English (1420 - 1429) taken in 1569 and 1590 (Wars of Religion), but holds fast. Sold in 1791 (Revolution), ruined in the 18th-19th; towers felled 1869 - 1926.

Joan of Arc stayed one night at the Benedictine priory of Mennetou-sur-Cher on March 3, 1429 (or late March depending on sources), en route from Gien to Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois and then Chinon.

The continuation of the Grande Rue in Mennetou-sur-Cher.

Duration3h 30m

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesFrench

Group sizeUp to 20 travelers

Overview

⚠ Choose your meaning ⚠

Morning (8h45): Check-out from Mennetou-sur-Cher → Arrival in Selles-sur-Cher.
OR
Afternoon (14h45): Check-out from Selles-sur-Cher → Arrival in Mennetou-sur-Cher.

Come and discover the history around the brand new Cœur de France bike route. On the banks of the Berry Canal, where the slope is gentle, a historian and a teacher will (re)discover an exceptional heritage sometimes unknown that goes from the Middle Ages to the present day through the Industrial Revolution and the two World Wars.

Please note, only 2 dates are scheduled for the Easter holidays.

What's included

Coffee and/or Tea

Public transportation
Use of bicycle
Private transportation
Snacks
Meals
Bottled water

What to expect

Loire Valley
Pass by

⚠ ATTENTION IN THE SENSE OF THE CIRCUIT ⚠

If you take the historic morning walk from 8:45 am (Mennetou-sur-Cher → Selles-sur-Cher), read the itinerary from 1 to 7 in the right direction.

If you take the historic afternoon walk from 2:45 pm (Selles-sur-Cher → Mennetou-sur-Cher), read the itinerary from 7 to 1 in the opposite direction.

In both directions, a return train is possible (2:50 p.m. or around 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. Check-out from Selles-sur-Cher and 8:20 p.m. Check-out from Mennetou-sur-Cher).
Mennetou-sur-cher
15m

At the very beginning of the morning around 9:15 am or at the very end of the afternoon around 6:15 pm, we will pass over one of the last wooden drawbridge that survives on the canal, in front of the door called "Jeanne d'Arc". We will mention some of the beautiful houses that are located near the Berry Canal.
5m

First or last stop in Langon-sur-Cher at the lock to observe an old lock house.
Villefranche-sur-Cher
10m

Second or penultimate stop at Villefranche-sur-Cher to evoke the demarcation line that passed at the Cher during the Second World War. We will also see the canal station in Villefranche as well as an area where barges could turn around. Old washhouses and an old tile and brickworks are still visible.
Gievres
30m

In the middle of your historic walk, we will stop in Gièvres to talk about the First World War and the railway junction with the BA line and Lyon Nantes.
Selles-sur-Cher
5m

A minute stop in front of the Château des Nouies by the canal in Selles-sur-Cher in the late morning or mid-afternoon.
Selles-sur-Cher
Pass by

Passage past the former Touraine Ceramics - now partly destroyed - to evoke the industrial past of the region.
Selles-sur-Cher
15m

Arrival in Selles at the water kiosk for the historic morning walk and Check-out from Selles at the water kiosk for the historic afternoon walk. Possibility of lunch in town, picnic, bike ride, take a train, visit the Château de Selles or order some cheeses from the delicious cheese factory in the city centre.
Mennetou-sur-cher
15m

For the morning activity (Mennetou-Selles) or for the afternoon activity (Selles-Mennetou), Laurent & André will welcome you or wish you a good visit in front of the priory of Mennetou-sur-Cher. We will necessarily walk with our bikes through the medieval streets of Mennetou-sur-Cher while talking about the Thierry La Fronde series.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

At the kiosk on the water of Selles-sur-Cher at 14:45 (historical afternoon walk from Selles-sur-Cher to Mennetou-sur-Cher).

Meeting point

In front of the Crédit Agricole de Mennetou-sur-Cher at 8:45 am (historic morning walk from Mennetou-sur-Cher to Selles-sur-Cher).

End point

In front of the Crédit Agricole de Mennetou-sur-Cher at around 18:30 (historical afternoon walk from Selles-sur-Cher to Mennetou-sur-Cher).

End point

At the kiosk on the water of Selles-sur-Cher around 12:30 (historic morning walk from Mennetou-sur-Cher to Selles-sur-Cher).

Additional information

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children under 7 years of age who pedal or people who cannot go at a speed of 18 km/h on a flat are not accepted.

Cancellation policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Parts of this description were translated automatically.

From

€35.00 per person

Check availability & book

You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.

Operated by Balade historique au bord du canal de Berry en vélo · Booked through Viator

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