Between the Sancerre hills and the wild Loire, the Sancerrois remains a beautiful and little-known region. Here are the places and walks we love, tried and tested.
- The house
- Wine
- Local produce and markets
- Outdoors and leisure
- Sightseeing
- Practical
Everyday life
Markets
- Saint-Satur: farmers’ market on Thursday mornings
- Cosne-sur-Loire: farmers’ market on Sunday mornings
Shops
A bakery with excellent pastries and a small grocery corner is just behind the house: walk up the lane and turn right. Perfect for breakfast.
Supermarkets: Carrefour Market and Intermarché in Saint-Satur, Lidl and Hyper U in Cosne-sur-Loire. The cheapest petrol is often at the Carrefour Market in Sancerre.
Restaurants
Good restaurants await you on the other side of the quay, with lovely views of the Loire. For “Le Bord de Loire”, it’s best to book and ask for a table with a view of the river: +33 2 48 54 12 15.
The golf club restaurant, 1 km away (a 15-minute walk), is also a very good choice, in a warm setting.
Things to do nearby
Walking and cycling
Many walks start from the house: you’ll find a guide next to the fireplace. Walks through the vineyards on the Sancerre hillsides are particularly recommended.
The Loire à Vélo cycle route runs right in front of the house.
Vineyards
- In Bué, the Jean-Marc and Mathieu Crochet estate offers tastings and tours (book online).
- In Sancerre, the choice is huge; the château also offers tastings and tours, a little pricier than elsewhere.
- In Pouilly-sur-Loire, tours of the Tour du Pouilly-Fumé (30 rue Waldeck Rousseau) are great fun, with tasting. Easy to book online.
Goat’s cheese
For good goat’s cheese, our favourite goat farm is La Bête noire sancerroise in Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre, which you can visit. The village of Chavignol, home of the famous crottin, is just behind Sancerre.
Canoeing down the Loire
From spring to autumn, canoe trips on this stretch of the Loire are superb. Ask “Loire, nature et découverte”, run by Yvan, the region’s great enthusiast: +33 2 48 78 00 34. Their office is on the other side of the quay, past the tennis courts.
In summer, bring a hat, water, swimsuit, sun cream and a picnic. Yvan is full of ideas for outings: tell him Arnaud sent you!
Visiting Sancerre
Stroll through the lanes of the old town, voted the French people’s favourite village, climb the Tour des Fiefs and step into the Maison des Sancerre.
Rail biking in Cosne
A 13 km ride on a disused railway line, over two bridges with views of the vineyards. Allow about 1 hour 30. Booking recommended on +33 6 85 22 80 72; note that cards are not accepted.
Port Aubry farm
An educational farm in Cosne-sur-Loire, great for families.
Swimming in front of the house
Between June and October, you may see regulars swimming close to the house, or wading across parts of the Loire to reach the islands.
If you don’t know the area, beware of the currents, which can be strong. Never try to swim upstream, even if the bank looks very close: let yourself drift to the nearest bank, then walk back.
Also close by
- Summer swimming pool in the village (lessons in summer) and the pool at Belleville-sur-Loire
- Tennis courts a 5-minute walk away, with summer courses
- Riding centres, with courses during school holidays
- Saint-Satur golf course, karting, bowling, pubs
- Fishing, and hot-air balloon flights over the Sancerrois (from Boulleret)
- Potteries of Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye
A little further
- Guédelon, the castle being built with medieval techniques
- The historical show at Saint-Fargeau and Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses
- The Briare canal bridge and Gien
- Bourges and Nevers
- Vézelay, the Morvan, the Berry and the Puisaye