Couches: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Couches is set in a hilly landscape with numerous hiking opportunities and extensive vineyards where wines bearing the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée designation are produced.

Nature and Trails

The Les Montagnes hiking trail in Couches is an easy 7.3-kilometre route. It starts in the square in front of the town hall and offers views of the Couches vineyards and the Dheune Valley. Couches also has hiking and mountain-biking trails, as well as a circular route to the washhouses.

E’trott Evasion offers guided rides on all-terrain electric scooters through the vineyards, bocage landscapes and chateau landscapes of the Couchois region.

Culture

The Château de Couches is a medieval fortress dating from the 11th and 15th centuries. The park and interiors are open to visitors. The Chapelle Saint-Philibert in the Eglise Saint-Martin houses a 1646 painting of the Crucifixion, which is classified as a Historic Monument of France.

The Eglise Saint-Martin dates from 1480. Its portals and windows are designed in the Flamboyant Gothic style; the church also contains 17th-century woodwork. The Prieuré Saint-Georges originated as a monastery built in the 7th century, rebuilt in the 9th century and converted in 1098 into a priory affiliated with Flavigny Abbey.

The Menhirs d’Epoigny are a group of seven menhirs erected around 5,000 years ago by the Neolithic civilisation.

History

Le Vieil Hôpital was built in 1565 as a priest’s residence, converted into a hospital in 1685 and retained this function until 1816. The building is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside.

The Tour Guérin dates back to the treaty of 1186, which granted royal protection to the monks. The present building dates from the 15th century and can only be viewed from the outside.

The Prieuré Saint-Georges can also only be viewed from the outside. Interior visits are possible on Fridays as part of the tourist office’s guided walks, subject to availability and confirmation by the town hall.

Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Couches should consider this destination.

Events

Since 1888, Couches has brought the legend of La Vivre back to life every 20 years with historical re-enactments, floats, music groups and events in a medieval setting. The next edition is scheduled for 2028.

The Les Chevaliers de l’Arquebuse society organises the Fête de l’Oiseau in Couches every July.

Other locations to choose from include Bussières, Chatenay, Laizy, Sornay, Saint-Julien-De-Civry, Mercurey, Vitry-En-Charollais and Morey.

For the higher-level travel overview: Saône-Et-Loire.