The best traffic-free bike rides around Saint-Maurice-Sur-Fessard

The Briare Canal is a shipping canal in the French regions of Centre-Val de Loire and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Together with the Loing Canal, the Lateral Canal à la Loire, and the Canal du Centre, it forms a chain of canals (the Bourbonnais Route) that served the Parisian waterways. Today, it allows inland waterway vessels and pleasure craft to cross from the Seine to the Saône and then via the Rhône to the Mediterranean.

A striking contrast in the quality of the road or the developments of the Briard Canal are painful to see compared to those of the Orléans Canal.

The town of Vieilles-Maisons-sur-Joudry has been awarded the "Village of Character" and "Towns and Villages in Bloom" labels. Take the time to visit the 10th-century Saint-Pierre church.

The Étang des Bois leisure center, nestled in the heart of the Orléans forest, is the perfect place to recharge your batteries in the heart of nature. Imagine yourself on the banks of this peaceful pond, surrounded by pines and oaks, with a sandy beach that invites you to swim in season. Here, the setting is sublime: shaded paths for quiet walks, picnic areas for outdoor lunches, and even a snack bar for a gourmet break. For those who want to prolong the pleasure, a friendly campsite is available, with a multitude of activities for the whole family.

Small village nestled in an enchanting setting between the woods and a huge pond, on the edge of the Orléans forest, with its half-timbered houses and beautifully restored old farms.

Lock on the first part of the Orléans Canal, built in the 17th century. Beautifully flowered and well maintained. There is a picnic table there.

The Château du Solin is an ancient fortress built in the 12th century by Blanchard de Lorris, a vassal of King Louis VI. The castle, also known as the Château de la Reine-Blanche, is surrounded by a moat and overlooks one of the most beautiful ponds in the region. You can admire the elegant architecture of the main building and the tower, as well as the Romanesque portal of the neighboring church dedicated to Saint Philippe and Saint Loup. The Solin river, which flows at the foot of the castle, has its source in the Bernaudière pond, where legend has it that Queen Blanche of Castile appeared at midnight with her ladies-in-waiting.

Ancient medieval town of Gâtinais, the village of Château-Renard is a small town steeped in history housing numerous historic monuments and old houses, including the Jeanne d'Arc house dating from the 15th century which now houses the Tourist Office , as well as the old church dating from the 12th and 13th centuries perched on the hill overlooking the town and surrounded by the ruins of the fortified castle, but also the Château de la Motte, the first octagonal-shaped medieval castle. The latter was first built in 1120 and notably welcomed Charles VIII in 1429. A century later, it was François I who signed there in 1539 the edict of the Blanque which brought about the creation of the Royal Lottery, ancestor of the National Lottery. The castle was dismantled on the orders of King Charles IX in 1568 during the Wars of Religion when it belonged to the family of Gaspard de Coligny, the famous Protestant admiral assassinated during the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre. In 1609, Coligny's daughter rebuilt the castle on the foundations of the old medieval fortress. This castle, one of the most beautiful in the department, is unfortunately not very visible from the road, because it is hidden behind tall vegetation. Private property, it is not open to visits.