L’Indre à vélo
“L’Indre à vélo” is a cycling trail of over 200 km alongside the River Indre and divided into 13 stages. See our selection of two bucolic sections along the country roads between Azay-le-Rideau and Truyes.
In the footsteps of Balzac, from Azay-le-Rideau to Monts
Azay-Rideau is linked to La Loire à vélo cycling trail from Bréhémont and Villandry. Leaving from Azay-le-Rideau, a 17 km section goes to the town of Monts along the Indre valley.
The section includes a stop in the troglodyte Goupillères valley and at the Château de Saché, where Balzac regularly stayed as a guest. The residence and the landscapes alongside the River Indre had a strong influence on his novel The Lily of the Valley.
Further on, near Pont-Ruan, don’t miss the three watermills, known as”Balzac’s mills”. On the road to Artannes, you will pass in front of the Manoir de l’Alouette a manor house with corbelled towers and mentioned by the author of the Comédie Humaine.
Before arriving in Monts, you make your way along the banks of the River Indre on an attractive tree-lined road. Here you will see the Moulin des Fleuriaux, a windmill with a stone bridge and a square pink tower dating from the 18th century.
The land of the Black Falcon, between Monts and Truyes
This is a 19 km section taking you from Monts to Truyes via the villages of Montbazon, Veigné and Esvres. As you leave Monts, you pass close to the Château d’Artigny, the former residence of the perfumer François Coty. The château was redesigned in the 19th century. Don’t miss the fortress of Montbazon, built on a rocky spur by the Black Falcon before 1000 AD. The square keep can be seen from a distance with its immense copper statue of the Virgin Mary.
Take the old medieval road to the village of Veigné. A little further on, the Martinière arboretum includes a 4-hectare botanical park around two lakes. It features an impressive collection of trees and bushes, as well as around one hundred species of bamboo.
In Esvres, you can see the Bollée windmill, built in the late 19th century to supply water to the Château de la Villaine, standing opposite.
The section ends in Truyes, where visitors can see the Château de Bel Air, built in the 1920s. It stands in a park of over two hectares with French-style gardens, a large reflecting pool, a rock garden and an English-style garden.
Discover the itineraries by clicking here
