De Omgeving
Bed and Breakfast Maison l' Aventure belonges to the community of Pruniers but is nearer to Saint Aout and Bommiers (only ten minutes away). Every Tuesday morning there is a traditional market in Saint Aout; it's the only market in the region at which small animals are sold. This market is very important to the French farmers in the region, which, at the same time, makes it possible for us to have a taste of the genuine French country life.
Our chambres d'hotes is situated in the departement called Indre, this is exactly in the middle of France, in the region Le Berry.
The hilly countryside offers a lot of variety. Apart from the woods, there are many corn and sunflower fields, as well as meadows where white cows graze. Do not forget the Brenne, an enormous protected scenic area measuring 163,000 hectares (almost 403,000 acres) with more than thousand marsh lands. Here you will be able to find very rare plants and animals. By the way, it is also possible that just within a stone's throw from our place, you may be surprised by a little wild boar, a deer or a pheasant crossing the road.
If you avail yourself of an opportunity to discover this department, you will notice that there is a lot to do and to experience. Just several examples: there are various castles, museums, gardens, and historical buildings - including the place where George Sand was born -. There are also several recreation parks where you can enjoy swimming, and where various other aquatic sports can be practised, as well as climbing, fishing, mountain biking, golfing, hang gliding and horse riding.
In the direct surroundings of our house, there are several well-indicated roads which make this area so easily accessible by car, motorcycle or even by bike.
The Indre Department in Le Berry has not yet been discovered by mass tourism; that is why it is even more worth the effort to visit this area!
The heading curiosities will supply more detailed information on these issues.
To see
In the department of Indre (named after the river that flows through it), located in the centre of the region of Le Berry there are so many things to do and to experience.
If you fancy cultural sightseeing, no problem; for instance, you can visit the archaeological excavations of Argentomagus, a Roman city quite close to Saint-Marcel, near Argenton-sur-Creuse. Also, there are a great number of castles and medieval houses to be visited. The castles of Bouges, Azay-le-Ferron, Lys-Saint-Georges, Sarzay or Valencay are absolutely worth while.
The family domain of the female writer George Sand (1804 - 1876) is located in the village of Nohant.
There are so many festivals to be recommended, e.g. Fêtes Romantiques, Rencontres Fréderic Chopin, Rencontres des luthiers et maîtres sonneurs (music and romantic literature), Festival de Harpe, Rencontres de la Prée in Sgry, 'Pierre qui chante en Vallée Noire' and the September Musical in Valencay; without doubt, all these warm and colourful events are a must for each and every music lover !
The zoological gardens of Haute-Touche (180 hectares / 444 acres!), located between Azay-le-Ferron and Obterre is one of the largest parks in Europe.
A true Noah's Ark of the 21st century, where you can find a lot of endangered animal species from all over the whole world. You can visit this park by car, by mountain bike but also by foot. You are able to see deer, reindeer, antelopes, bison, wolves, tigers, wallabies etc.
The Indre is a walking area par excellence. In more than 150 villages there are beautiful walking tours (in total 6,500 kilometres (more than 4,000 miles) of footpaths and organised walks ). The Tourist Information Office of La Chatre has made an overview of all the hiking possibilities in the neighbourhood; in case you wish more detailed information, they will be most pleased to help you!
The lake of Eguzon, with a water surface of some 300 hectares (+740 acres), is bordered by some beautiful artificial beaches, where you can unwind or practise various kinds of aquatic sports.
And then the Brenne, the region of thousand marsh lands!
Due to its stunning beauty, this scenic area (16,000 hectares - almost 40,000 acres) is so impressive; not only its plant and animal life is remarkable, but also there are plenty of leisure facilities, such as aquatic sports and hiking. In the Maison du Parc there is a magnificent diaporama projection. In case you are interested, you can participate in various walking tours that are organised here.
The variability of Brenne's countryside will certainly surprise every visitor, and the same accounts for all possible activities that this region offers!