The keystones of the Église Saint-Médard feature guild coats of arms with the tools of the butchers’ trade. Hiking and historic buildings offer two different ways to discover Dierre.
A hiking route with specific details
The hiking route “Fiefs d’hier, hameaux d’aujourd’hui” is 10.6 kilometres long, rated easy and takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. The elevation gain is also listed as 68 metres. Allow about 2 hours and 30 minutes for the hike. The route is rated easy. Check trail conditions and waymarking locally before setting off. The French title “Fiefs d’hier, hameaux d’aujourd’hui” can be translated as “Fiefs of Yesterday, Hamlets of Today.” It linguistically contrasts former fiefdoms with today’s small settlements. The name thus draws attention to the changing forms of rural settlements and gives the hike a historical theme.
In addition to this named route, Dierre’s hiking options include several circular trails.
Church and historic buildings
The Église Saint-Médard was built in the 11th century. Its keystones feature guild coats of arms with the tools of the butchers’ trade. To visit the church, collect the key from the town hall during opening hours. Check the town hall’s opening hours before your visit.
A restored wash house can be seen from the discovery route in Dierre, near Impasse de la Distillerie. The private manor house of Coquiau dates from the 16th century and retains a contemporary spiral staircase and a partly demolished round tower. A spiral staircase winds around a central axis; a round tower has a circular floor plan. Here, “contemporary” means that the staircase dates from the same period as the manor house. At Coquiau Manor, therefore, a preserved architectural feature stands alongside a partly demolished structure. The features differ both in form and in their state of preservation.
Technical structures add further points of interest: the Vallet needle weir is 68 metres wide and was built in 1841. The 700-metre runway at Dierre airfield follows the route of the former Roman road from Tours to Bourges. The needle weir was built in 1841, while the present-day runway follows a former Roman road.
Practical stops and other activities
The Halle de Dierre is open to hikers and cyclists using the “Cœur de France à vélo” cycle route. There are public toilets and drinking water at Place du Général de Gaulle.
Based in Dierre, Héliberté HJS offers flights on request throughout the year. The services also include château visits and food stops for groups and individuals.
Discover more destinations: Pouzay, Monts, Avoine, Pernay, Véretz, Epeigné-Les-Bois, Artannes-sur-Indre, Limeray.
For the wider travel overview: Indre-Et-Loire.
