The best traffic-free bike rides around Ivoy-Le-Pré

Romanesque church from the 12th century, remodeled in the 19th century. Of the old building, only the choir remains.

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.

Castle built during the Renaissance by Robert Stuart then Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Aubigny and Porsmouth. Only the facade and one of the two wings exist today. It is one of the major witnesses to the historical presence of the Scots in this city of character. It can be visited and is worth a look, notably with the ceiling of its large room which is all made of wood, shaped like the hull of an upside-down boat. Good to know: Franco-Scottish festivals take place every year in July.

From this bridge over the Petite Sauldre, you can admire the Château de la Chapelle D'Angillon, also known as Château de Béthune, on the other side of the body of water. It was initially a keep dating from 1050, one of the oldest in the region, then several buildings were added over the centuries to form the castle that we discover today. Two cathedral builders lived there, as well as the princes of Boisbelle. In addition to collections of weapons, embroidery and costumes from the 18th century, you will find a museum dedicated to Alain-Fournier, the author of Grand Meaulnes, and the Royal Albanian Foundation.

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.

It will be impossible for you to miss the Saint-Palais church with its seemingly endless bell tower, unless you don't look up from your handlebars. For the record, it is in the town of Saint-Palais, at a place called Les Combles, that the center of the great big circle that can be drawn in continental France is located. It is therefore the furthest place, precisely 291.3 kilometers, from any border.

Castle built during the Renaissance by Robert Stuart then Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Aubigny and Porsmouth. Only the facade and one of the two wings exist today. It is one of the major witnesses to the historical presence of the Scots in this city of character. It can be visited and is worth a look, notably with the ceiling of its large room which is all made of wood, shaped like the hull of an upside-down boat. Good to know: Franco-Scottish festivals take place every year in July.