Château du Plessis

Tour Guide

Sightseeing Sampler

“Ten Excursions from Le Plessis”

“What should we do when staying at Le Plessis?” Ten short to medium excursions give a partial answer to the question. Half day in length, they can be grouped for the more ambitious travelers. One a day will provide a comfortable pace more akin to life in Touraine. We hope you will enjoy some of our suggestions.

Azay-le-Rideau (15 minute drive)

The Château of Azay-le-Rideau, one of the «big five» Loire Châteaux, is the closest to Le Plessis. A morning tour (1 to 1 ½ hours) makes most sense. As you leave the Château of Azay by the bookstore exit, you walk along a pedestrian street. There is a wonderful gift shop called the "Passé Simple". Next is an artist studio. The owner, Frederic, is the painter of the aquarelle of Le Plessis you will find on the walls of the "Gold" room. The other shops along the street are pretty forgettable. Just before reaching the market square (market day is Saturday morning), don’t miss the Tourist Office where you can stock-up on pamphlets and get useful suggestions and tips, together with current opening hours. Beyond the Post Office (where on the outside wall you will find a no-fee ATM machine) there is an unusual shop selling reproduction tapestries at very reasonable rates. It is well worthwhile if that is your cup of tea.

For lunch you can get forgettable but quick snacks at any of the cafes, bistros and terraces around the market square. "Creperie du Roy" along the main street (English menus available), just a short walk from the market square serves good crepes and salads at reasonable prices in a reasonable amount of time. L’Aigle d’Or (on the opposite side, 5 minutes walk) serves quality traditional food in a traditional bourgeois décor. Le Grand Monarque is another good choice. Avoid Le Ridelois. “Le Salamandre” will satisfy those who are hungry and do not have much time and do not particularly look for a gourmet lunch. Remember that lunch hour is 12 to 2 when most of the shops are closed. It is always prudent to make reservations at the better restaurants.

You might like to see the night “Sons et Lumières” (light and sound show) at the Château. This is for night owls though as the show starts at 10:30 PM during the summer.

Saché (8 minute drive)

The Balzac Museum in the Château de Saché is worth a visit and it is practically next door. Saché’s other famous resident is Calder who lived in a spectacular atelier on a neighboring hill (unfortunately it is not open to the public). There is a large mobile on the town square appropriately called Place Calder.

However, the main reason to come to Saché is to have lunch or dinner at L’Auberge du XIIe Siècle (02 47 26 88 77 – closed Mondays and Tuesday lunch). It is very likely the best restaurant in the whole of Touraine, and is definitely our favorite, bar none. Week-end reservations are tricky, so call as far ahead as you can. There are three preset menus, and the menu-carte at €30 is a real bargain. The menu-Calder is a memorable 2 ½ to 3 hour lunch or dinner celebration, if pricey at €63. One of our guests summarized: “we only had one problem during our stay at Le Plessis; we couldn't decide how many times to go back to the Auberge”.

After lunch, a nice short drive leads to Villaines-les-Rochers, a lovely village where wickerwork is the mainstay. At the Société Cooperative Agricole de Vannerie, a museum and store, one can buy some beautiful wickerwork of amazing quality (and price). They are not only beautiful but essentially indestructible and make for wonderful gifts as well as very useful items like breadbaskets and cheese trays.

Villandry (20 minute drive)

Another of the big five Châteaux, Villandry is a must see. The world famous gardens are simply stupefying. If you have time, take a combined tour, house and gardens. If not, go straight to the gardens. Again we suggest a morning tour. There is an excellent gift shop in the Orangerie where artists and craft sell their creations. It is a pretty good source of gifts to take home.

For lunch, a must is La Giraudière (02 47 50 06 60) some 5 KM out of town toward Druye. It is a goat farm serving casual meals at reasonable prices. Needless to say many of the dishes will emphasize goat cheeses, but there is a variety of menus from which to choose. It is hearty and tasty food. The owner is absolutely charming. And after lunch you get to walk around the goat pen (spotless white goats), and see the black piglets and other farm animals. No one has ever regretted the stop.

Tours (25 minute drive)

Tours is the only real “city” (140,000 inhabitants, plus suburbs) in Touraine and it is worth a visit. Whether sightseeing, shopping, visiting "Les Halles" (superb Farmer's Market) or soaking up atmosphere, Tours is well worth a visit. Avoid the Loire's banks since the allies managed to bomb it out at the end of WWII and the 1950s rebuilding was inspired by Stalin's style architecture.

For sightseeing, the Place Plumereau, in the old town, is a good place to start. It is surrounded by pedestrian streets, so it is a good idea to park the car in one of the nearby city parking lots. In the evening, particularly during warm summer nights, it becomes the central gathering place for the local youth (one of the University’s campus is right around the corner) and for the hordes of tourists. The other sightseeing attraction is the Cathedrale St-Gatien about 2 KM to the East.

Walk along the Rue des Halles which crosses the Avenue Nationale. Those are the main shopping areas in Tours, with banks, designer shops, clothing and shoe stores every 50 meters, and a branch of Galleries Lafayette, the famous department store (if you are going to Paris, do pass on this one and reserve your visit for the Paris store, one of the world’s great department stores). Right near the intersection of both streets, in the pedestrian/bus section of rue Nationale, is Honoré-leBoulanger. While part of a chain, they make surprisingly good bread, excellent tarts, croissants, and desserts. We always stop there when in town. On rue des Halles, just on the east side of rue Nationale, is La Chocolatière where you will find some of the best chocolates anywhere (and that is pretty hard for a Belgian to admit).

For food lovers, Les Halles (on the western end of rue des Halles) is a must stop (there is a public parking underneath). Housed in a rather ugly modern structure, the food stalls inside display the best cheeses, excellent fish, good produce, and superb delicatessens. Twice a week (particularly on Saturday and Wednesday mornings), there are additional food stalls on the square in front of Les Halles.

If you must eat in Tours, you are most likely to be disappointed. The old saying, “you can’t get a bad meal in France” simply does not apply to Tours. There are plenty of bad restaurants and cafés. Le Petit Patrimoine (02 47 66 05 81) on rue Colbert on the way to the cathedral offers a pretty good and reasonable daily menu. It is very small so reservations might be necessary. "Rive Gauche" next to the museum “Hotel Gouin” not far from the Place Plumereau offers one star food in a modern atmosphere. Next to Les Halles, Le Mastroquet (02 47 61 48 21) is a pretty good bet for a traditional two hour lunch.

Chinon (30 minute drive)

The drive takes you through the Forest of Chinon, a 17 KM drive straight as an “i”, right through the gorgeous forest. The Château is mostly in ruins (but is in the midst of a massive renovation project) and sits high above the city situated on the bank of the scenic river Vienne. The castle is well worth the visit due to its spectacular setting and historical significance. If you didn't know about Joan of Arc promising the throne of France to the future Charles VII, don’t worry, you will hear all about it. Chinon is also the home of Rabelais the author of “Gargantua”. There are lots of interesting little shops along the cobbled stoned streets. For lunch, L’Océanic (02 47 93 44 55) is a good bet for seafood. South of Chinon, along the D116, is the Château de Marcay (02 47 93 03 47), member of the Relais & Châteaux where one can enjoy a superb lunch in an elegant spectacular setting.

Chenonceau (60 minute drive)

Of course this is another of the big five Castles (Chambord, Cheverny, Chenonceau, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau). It is the favorite of most visitors (and as a result can be crowded during the summer months). You should get there early, and if you take the small local roads you will be treated to a wonderful ride through the lush countryside and the excellent vineyards of the Montlouis appellation.

You can have lunch at Le Bon Laboureur (02 47 23 90 02) a Michelin starred restaurant with impeccable reputation (we have not tried it ourselves). If you are not game for a 2 ½ hour lunch, there is a nice café terrace in front of the Chateau - L’Orangerie du Château. It is nothing fancy, but the sandwiches are good and it is a wonderful spot to rest your “barking” dogs.

Amboise (45 minute drive)

For some reason, Amboise does not rank among the big five. It is one of our top three! Besides the spectacular setting high above the Loire River (at sunset, the light is extraordinary), the splendid Château is also filled with the memory of Leonardo da Vinci who is buried in the Chapelle St-Hubert, a jeweled of Flamboyant Gothic architecture (watch the movie “Ever After” in our DVD collection). From the terrace there is a spectacular view. Nearby is Clos-Lucé where Leonardo lived for the last four years of his life. Walking down from the château, one meanders through interesting narrow streets lined with tourists shops, some worth a visit, most not.

There are numerous cafés and terraces for a quick lunch. For more serious food, the Château de Pray (02 47 57 23 67) a five minute drive along the Loire, offers very good food in a spectacular setting. For the best food in the area, a short drive to the north, along a charming country road leads to L’Aubinière (02 47 30 15 29) in St-Ouen-les-Vignes. It ranks in the top five in our personal ranking of the Touraine restaurants and reservations are required.

Fontevraud (45 minute drive)

According to the Green Michelin Guide, the Abbaye of Fontevraud is a two star visit, “worth a detour”. In our guide, it is a 3 ½ star must see. The abbey is a masterful example of late Romanesque architecture. The purity and the elegance of the church’s nave are breathtaking. Of course, it is also the home of the tombs of the Plantagenet kings Henry II and his famous wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, his son Richard the Lionheart and his less famous wife, Isabella of Angoulême. The cloister, the extraordinary kitchen, and the surrounding vegetable gardens round up the marvelous setting.

Adjoining the Abbey is the Hôtellerie Prieuré St-Lazare (02 41 51 73 16). It was originally a nunnery for illustrious ladies discretely housed away from public eye. Among its hosts are various mistresses of King Louis XIV and Cardinal Richelieu. It has been converted into a luxury hotel with a good restaurant (according to some, we have not tried it ourselves). For a serious lunch, a few hundred meters from the entrance is La Licorne (02 41 51 72 49) where the menu dégustation is worth the 3 ½ hour experience. The daily menu is more reasonable and very good as well.

Blois (60 minute drive)

The Château of Blois is the only major château set in a royal city. The elaborate and spectacular royal apartments surround a courtyard with the magnificent Francois I staircase.

Across the square, below the château there is a wonderful view of the façade from L’Orangerie du Château (02 54 78 05 36) where one can enjoy an excellent lunch and rest one’s feet after the tiring visit.

Vallée de la Manse (60 minute tour)

One of the most enjoyable excursions in the area is best enjoyed bicycling (which will take between 2 and 3 hours). Going south along the D8 (or the parallel road if touring by bicycle), the first small town of St-Épain is worth a short walking tour with its 13C church and Hotel de la Prévôté. The road (D21) leads to Crissay-sur-Manse, one of Frances “most Beautiful Villages” with its charming 15C houses and the ruins of its castle. From there, the road meanders through the lush vineyards of Chinon. In Panzoult and a bit farther in Cravant-les-Coteaux, with its 12C church, one can discover the very best Chinon growers. The road meanders through the best vineyards of the "Chinon" appellation.

From Cravant-les-Coteau, the D44 crosses the Vienne River at Sazilly where L’Auberge du Val de Vienne (02 47 95 26 49) will satisfy the most discriminating palates. If that is not good enough, just a little farther in Ile-Bouchard, the Auberge de l’Ile (02 47 58 51 07) is worthy of at least one Michelin star and is in our top five restaurant of Touraine.
After lunch it might be fun to drive a few KM south on the D113 to Lémeré and walk through the spectacular gardens of the Château de Rivau.

Other excursions (60 KM radius)

There are many other sites of interest within a 60 KM radius of Le Plessis. Among them are Saumur and its Château, the Château of Le Lude and lovely Vallée du Loir to the village of Troo. Here you can stop for a wonderful lunch at L’Auberge du Cheval Blanc (02 54 72 58 22). Along the Loire River is the sleeping beauty castle of Ussé, the fortress of Langeais. Farther south along the Indre River is Loches with its sinister donjon. Still a little farther is the spectacular city of Richelieu home of the famous cardinal (the Château no longer exist) and to the east the Château de Valencay, home of Talleyrand, minister of kings and emperor.

These excursions emphasize sightseeing and good eating. For the sports minded visitors, there is ample choice as well. Our favorite is bicycling, but some have enjoyed kayaking on the Indre River (in Veigné), golf in Ballan-Miré, tennis in Thilouze or Saché, mushroom hunting in the woods, hilking in Villaine-les-Rochers and everywhere else, ballooning over the valley, wine tasting, and sitting by the pool.

A few reminders before starting on your excursions:

Most Châteaux are open continuously from 9:30 AM until 6 PM, but check ahead to be safe. Guided tour in English are available at certain time of the days, and audio tours are often available as well.

Restaurant reservations are a must, particularly on week-ends. Remember to allow between 2 and 3 hours in the better restaurants, and check for opening days as they change often. Virtually all restaurants accept credit cards. The card reader expects a “puce” (on all French credit cards) and occasionally the magnetic stripe of international cards does not process. Keep ample cash on hand to avoid embarrassment. Many restaurants will speak at least some English.

Almost every shop is closed on Sunday (except for Super-U, Atac and "Panier Sympa" in Thilouze which are open Sunday morning) and many on Monday mornings as well. Banks are closed on Monday.

In conclusion we will pass on the Top Ten lists written by good friends of ours:

Top Ten “Must See and Do”

10. Get to know Tours.
9. See the cathedral at Chartres on the way to or from Paris.
8. See the troglodyte caves and homes, with dinner at Le Caveau near Saumur.
7. Visit the Abbey Royale de Fontevraud.
6. Explore Amboise, including the chateau and da Vinci’s home.
5. Tour the Chateau d’Azay le Rideau and surrounding town.
4. Enjoy town markets: Tours (Wednesday and Saturday), Azay le Rideau (Saturday), St. Maure (Friday).
3. Visit Chateau Villandry, followed by lunch at La Giraudiere.
2. Have lunches at Auberge du XIIe Siècle and Le Moulin Fleuri in Veigné.
1. Stay at Le Plessis.

Top Ten for “Relaxation and the Soul”

10. Have a picnic in the cemetery.
9. Walk to the bakery in Thilouze for fresh pastries.
8. Read books, relax, and nap as the spirit moves you.
7. Find an unexpected concert or play.
6. Stop and look at fields of blooming sunflowers.
5. Go kayaking on the Indre River.
4. Take a swim, daily if possible.
3. Enjoy breakfast on the patio and listen to the birds sing.
2. Have a wine and cheese picnic by the mill pond in Pont de Ruan.
1. Stay at Le Plessis.

Enjoy your stay in Touraine.

Please send us your own comments and experiences by Email to GdeKerchove@LePlessisThilouze.com. We will endeavor to include them in updated versions of these guides should you allow us to do so.