Saint-Georges-Sur-Cher combines architectural history with wine experiences, hiking trails and a recurring river festival. When planning your trip, you can choose between a focus on culture, a wine tasting, outdoor activities and a visit in July. The highlights also differ in form, from pairs of Romanesque windows to a tasting featuring five cuvées.
Romanesque details, the Renaissance and a house in the town centre
The Église Saint-Georges has a Romanesque portal and a Romanesque bell tower. On each of the tower's four sides, two paired windows let in light. The pairs of windows are thus repeated all around the tower; the portal and the tower offer different clues to its Romanesque design. If you are interested in architectural forms, you can identify two distinctive features on different parts of the building here.
The Prieuré de la Chaise includes a surviving priory house, which probably dates from the 16th century, and a chapel from the 13th century. The priory is partially protected as a historic monument. The house and chapel bring different dates into focus: the dating of the priory house remains tentative, while the chapel is assigned to the 13th century.
The Manoir des Couldraies was built at the beginning of the 16th century and is considered representative of Touraine Renaissance architecture. A fresco in the style of the second School of Fontainebleau is preserved in its chimney hood. Two scales come together here: the Renaissance reference places the manor in its architectural context, while the Fontainebleau reference relates to the fresco.
In the town centre, the Maison Ă lucarne de type compagnonnique adds a date to the architectural history: its dormer is dated 1832. The house also features a symbol used by the Compagnons. Romanesque features, a Renaissance manor and a precisely dated 19th-century detail thus come together in Saint-Georges-Sur-Cher.
How to plan your walks and wine experiences
For your hiking plans, the circular Les Moulins et les Vignes trail has a specific distance: it is 13 km long. The Sentier Nature des MĂ©andres du Rio de Bray starts at the former campsite on Chemin des Sapins de Bray. The two trails therefore offer different planning cues: a circular route with a stated distance and a named starting point. These details can help you make hiking a distinct focus of your stay.
Les Pierres d’Aurèle has 40 hectares of vineyards surrounded by woodland, as well as a fully renovated 19th-century winegrower's farm. Guided and audio-guided tours of the vineyard and wine cellar are offered, with a tasting. You can choose between two tour formats and combine a visit to the vineyard and cellar with a tasting.
The Dégustation Gourmande at Les Pierres d’Aurèle pairs five cuvées with products from the local terroir. This brings another aspect of the offering into focus alongside the vineyard and wine cellar: the combination of wines and regional products. If you are planning your trip around different interests, the tour and this tasting offer two specific ways to explore the subject of wine.
Jour de Cher in July
Jour de Cher is an annual river festival held in July, with six stages between Saint-Georges-Sur-Cher and Athée-sur-Cher. The pre-event in Saint-Georges-Sur-Cher includes the final preparations and the launching of the rafts. Programme details vary from one edition to the next, so check the relevant event dates before travelling in July.
The Office de Tourisme Sud Val de Loire organises a 28 km bike ride.
Discover more destinations: Suèvres, Troo, Pouillé, Maves, Nouan-Le-Fuzelier, Authon, Vineuil, Chitenay
For the broader travel overview: Loir-Et-Cher.
