WALKS

Walks from the end of the drive…

A favourite walk starts just 2km from the front door and leads you deep into the countryside of Huismes and past eight beautiful local châteaux (choose from 13.5km long, 12.5km or 7km). All walks start at the lavoir, the old washing pond, that is about 10 minutes’ walk from La Fuye. Here is a link to its position. The Tourist Office map showing the three walking routes can be downloaded here.

The forest fringe can also be accessed 1.5km from our gates (walk to the very end of the road called ‘La Petite Brosse’) and leads deep into the woodland with its tracks and nature trails.

There is also a longer walk that skirts La Fuye and takes you into and around Chinon and the neighbouring countryside (15km). Download the map here.

A vast amount of maps for all over the region can be found courtesy of the Azay-Chinon Tourist Centre’s website. Navigate to >Our Essentials [top of homepage] >Nature, water and soft itineraries >Hiking

If you want to go further a field, this is a good website and details a 16km hike from the very near by Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt to Azay-le-Rideau … and more.

St Radegonde Chapel

The Chapel is also well worth a visit and makes for a good walk (you can park in the public car park opposite the boulangerie ‘Les Tours des Pains’; you can only access Radegonde on foot). Not only does getting there involve a lovely view of Chinon and a decent walk, but the small, ruined chapel is noteworthy for being hewn into the tuffeau rock (local limestone unique to the Loire Valley) and for its 12th-century murals, including one of the very few visual representations of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her family.

The chapel extends via several galleries and tunnels, including one that leads to a well dating back to Roman times. There are signs in Chinon indicating the walking route and it is a good uphill hike. If you are going from the fortress, it is about a 20-minute walk but the views of Chinon are excellent. Check ahead of visiting whether the Chapelle is open, (it is closed over winter) but even if it’s not, it’s a lovely place to walk to and see the town from.