The best traffic-free bike rides around Saint-Germain-Du-Puy

This church dates from the 12th century. It was restored around 1600 and then remodeled in the 18th century. The church's bell tower was listed as a historical monument by decree of October 22, 1913. The bell tower was struck by lightning in 2019, damaging the spire. Repairs were approved by the municipality in 2021. The 19th-century bells were also listed as historical monuments that same year.

Magnificent chapel, place of pilgrimage dedicated to St. Solange, Patron Saint of Berry

Magnificent castle, only the gardens can be visited

magnificent little church, inside which are remains of medieval frescoes as well as furniture from the Sainte Chapelle de Bourges. Remarkable elements also present on the beams. if the church is closed, go and ask for the keys from Mr Turpin, winemaker on the church square.

Impossible to miss this beautiful church all alone at the end of this grassy path. Its history echoes the construction of the Notre-Dame de Fourvières basilica in 1870 following the wish of the Lyonnais to build it if the Prussians do not cross the Saône. Indeed, Claude Gindre, the owner of the Château de Laverdines since 1860, is a silk worker from Lyon and makes a similar wish concerning the Vauvise valley. He kept his promise in 1873 by having this chapel dedicated to the Virgin built, but outside the castle grounds so that all the villagers could have access to it. A replica of the Virgin Mary which crowns the Lyon basilica was initially on its roof and is today preserved on the ground, next to the church. It was bought by the municipality in 1893 for a symbolic franc and then work was undertaken with the help of the heritage foundation between 2016 and 2019 in order to repair significant external damage. Behind the gate on the other side of the road, you can see Laverdines Castle in the distance.

If you are a ceramist or an enlightened pottery lover, La Borne will surely mean something to you. Indeed, this village is a mecca for ceramic creation in France and internationally. La Borne being close to a large sandstone deposit, there are traces of this activity since the 12th century and it has continued to develop over time. In the 15th century, potters acquired mastery of cooking local clay. In the 17th century, the creation of the town of Henrichemont increased demand and concentrated the workshops in the hamlet, halfway between the quarries and the town. Then in the 19th century, at its peak, 21 workshops operated there. Unlike many pottery villages, La Borne has been able to resist the new materials of the 20th century with the revival of pottery in the form of art. Today, nearly 80 craftsmen and artists of twelve different nationalities work in the surrounding area and there are two museums in the village. In the former Saint-Jean-Baptiste chapel, the Pottery Museum was created with a rather traditional and historical approach and in which we find works by renowned potters such as the Talbot family, Vassil Ivanoff and Jean Linard. Then you will find the La Borne Contemporary Ceramic Center which has occupied the village's former girls' school since 1971 as well as a glass gallery more than 600 meters long inaugurated in 2010. Every year around October you can participate in the Grands Feux, an event allowing you to discover how the hamlet's wood-fired ovens work.

Between Les Aix-d'Angillon and Aubinges, this is the kind of tiny road through the undergrowth and the edge of the woods that every cyclist loves.

Church located in the old castle walls, the Collegiate Church having replaced the castle chapel of the Sully family around 1150. It has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1862.