La Cyclobohème

Leaving the Loire behind, this first stage of the Indre à Vélo takes you back along the Indre’s final meanders as you start cycling towards the river’s source. Stops are a must at Azay-le-Rideau, with its splendid château built on an island in the Indre, and Saché, where great French 19th-century writer Balzac often stayed at the château. The stage finishes with the high drama of Montbazon, a town boasting a towering medieval keep.

Alternatively, start your trip just downstream along the Loire from Bréhémont, starting with Rigny Ussé and its famed château. Then follow the Indre’s marshy sides, or bardeaux, the way here marked “La Loire à Vélo”, to then join up with the Indre à Vélo route.

After Montbazon, cycle along close to the Indre, via little villages tucked into its meanders. Explore Cormery Abbey before crossing the river. Next, take a short detour via the charmingly planted village of Chédigny, the whole place designated a Jardin Remarquable!
Then enjoy the spectacular appearance of the royal citadel of Loches, signalled from afar by its keep and royal abode perched above the Indre. This grand little town makes an excellent choice for an overnight stay.

his linking stage allows you to cross to one of the Loire Valley’s most glorious sites, the Château de Chenonceau. While traversing Touraine’s agricultural lands to get there, stop at the beautifully planted village of Chédigny. You then enter the Cher Valley to reach Chenonceau, spanning the Cher River in an exceptional setting. This Renaissance gem has been nicknamed the Château des Dames, as it was lived in and transformed by famous women through the course of its history (notably Katherine Briçonnet, Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici).

Speeding off from Loches’s majestic citadel, this short stage takes you cycling along quiet little country roads. The way leads you through open fields, allowing you to admire the Indre’s many meanders as you head upstream. From a distance, the keep crowning the little town of Châtillon-sur-Indre stands out, main remnant of a larger 12th-century fort that once stood here.

The route keeps close to the Indre after Châtillon-sur-Indre, allowing you to wander peacefully along roads lined with a mix of fields and the occasional forest.
Midway along this stage, stop to admire Palluau-sur-Indre and its château perched on a rocky promontory, offering splendid views down on the Indre Valley. Back on your bike, it’s not too long a ride to reach the town of Buzançais.

It’s a gentle departure from Buzançais, continuing your cycling journey along the Indre Valley via calm roads meandering through typical Berry agricultural lands, not far from the lakes of the Parc Naturel de la Brenne. Before arriving at the town of Châteauroux, there’s a short stretch through parkland, via a greenway crossing Saint Gildas Prairie, making for a very easy, pleasant approach to the historic centre.

The Indre à Vélo cycle route leaves behind Châteauroux’s ramparts to head deep into the state forest of Châteauroux, boasting the largest oak woods in France. The rest of this stage takes riders on a literary and sporting journey. You ride across the flat plains of the Champagne Berrichonne area to the hillier area of Boischaut Sud, through parts evoked by George Sand in her ground-breaking 19th-century novels. She is also connected with La Châtre, a town with a rich heritage that proves full of surprises and is very much worth exploring.

Your cycling journey along the Indre à Vélo cycle route continues through hillier terrain and traditional hedge-divided fields. This stage brings you closer to the foothills of the Massif Central, leading you to the source of the Indre River at Saint-Priest-la-Marche. Crossing into the département (or county) of Creuse, the Tour de Creuse à Vélo cycle route now becomes the guiding thread up to the next stopover town. All around, nature and greenery dominate. Following in the footsteps of novelist George Sand, enjoy a halt in Boussac with its perched château, in a place where she loved to stay.

This last stage of the Indre à Vélo cycle route leads you to Toulx-Ste-Croix and Chambon-sur-Voueize. The trail is characterized by a gentle, gradual climb, with unusual places to stop at along the way. Reaching Mont Barlot, don’t miss the Pierres Jaumâtres, the granite blocks piled on top of each other here creating an extraordinary natural site. At Toulx-Sainte-Croix, a panoramic tower offers 360° views of the countryside. Down in the village, enter the startling church, split in two; one part contains the vestiges of St Martial Chapel, one of the oldest monuments in the département (county) of Creuse. Before Chambon-sur-Voueize, cross the well-flowered village of Lépaud. Chambon-sur-Voueize, with its abbey church dedicated to St Valery, welcomes riders at the end of the Indre à Vélo cycle route.