An invitation to daydream, the Cyclo Bohème is a fully marked cycle route that crosses, along the Indre, Touraine and Berry, to the steps of the Creuse. Immersed in the heart of living local cultures, travelers will quickly escape from everyday life by letting their imaginative minds run wild, and their creative potential flourish.
The Cyclo Bohème route starts in the heart of Touraine. Leaving Bréhémont, you will pass not far from the Château de l'Islette, which once housed the love affairs of Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin.
Then the route will reveal the Renaissance jewel of Azay-le-Rideau. This “faceted cut diamond set by the Indre”1 is a must-see stop on the way to the Château de Saché, a Renaissance residence that has become a museum in memory of its most notorious guest: Honoré de Balzac.
As you travel through the Indre Valley at the pace of your two wheels, you will discover picturesque landscapes, embellished with small towns and villages full of life. Montbazon, the Royal City of Loches, Châtillon-sur-Indre and Buzançais form the milestones of a route dotted with medieval fortifications, attractive market squares, mills and manors.
The crossing of Berry is both more rural and steeper. At the exit of the Châteauroux national forest, follow in the footsteps of George Sand to Nohant-Vic, the novelist's stronghold from 1821. A literary and artistic refuge, her house was frequented by illustrious guests, including Chopin, Flaubert and Delacroix.
After La Châtre, the path will take you to Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre, a small and authentic village where François, the famous Jour de Fête postman2, will take you on its wheel to meet the locals, offering you a great opportunity among others to participate in the living local culture.
Continuing your romantic escapade, you will follow the Indre river to its source. The first foothills of the Massif Central will then be available to the most daring. Here you are in Limousin, a granite land, as evidenced by the Boussaquine, this balanced granite block that offers a breathtaking panorama of the Boussac valley. The route ends in Chambon-sur-Voueize, along the Voueize gorges, at the end of a 300 km journey.
1Described by Honoré de Balzac in his autobiographical novel The Lily of the Valley (1836).
2Holiday (1949) is the first film directed by Jacques Tati.
Enjoy your stay on the Cyclo Bohème!
