Athée-Sur-Cher between silk history and the Cher

Behind the Église Saint-Romain stands the Tour de la Magnanerie in Athée-Sur-Cher, a round tower built for silkworm breeding and probably constructed in the 16th century. Since September 2021, the tower has housed a permanent exhibition on the history of silk production in Touraine and Athée-Sur-Cher.

Culture and history

The Église Saint-Romain was built in the 12th century and almost completely rebuilt around 1635 by Philippe Sallier, Seigneur de Chênaie. Since the protection order of 22 August 1949, it has been classified as a Monument historique.

The Château de Nitray is a remarkable Renaissance ensemble below the Pont de Chandon, overlooking the valley. Its buildings and park have been listed in the Inventaire since 1947.

The Château de la Chesnaye was built in the 16th and 17th centuries and features Renaissance elements, including balconies, projecting window surrounds, balusters and relief representations.

When planning your trip, you can give historical themes different weight according to your interests: architecture, craftsmanship and exhibition content offer distinct cultural perspectives. No fixed order is necessary; you can decide for yourself whether a day should focus more on architectural forms or on the subject of silk. The châteaux add further forms and periods to this perspective, without needing to be brought together into a unified ensemble. In particular, connecting individual buildings with the exhibition allows for a thematic rather than purely chronological approach.

The length of the riverbank and the character of the route section provide different points of orientation: the banks of the Cher describe a spatial expanse, while shade and woodland define the character of the cycling section. For your own planning, the connection with the water and the cycle route can therefore be considered separately rather than treated as the same landscape experience.

The Cher and the cycle route

On the left bank, Athée-Sur-Cher borders the Cher for a length of 5.5 km. During the open season, fishing is possible there with a permit.

On the Cœur de France à Vélo route, one section leads from Azay-sur-Cher towards Athée-Sur-Cher. This section is more shaded and passes through wooded areas.

For planning your day, water, nature and cycling can be considered as separate interests or combined with the cultural theme. A culture-focused day and a day centred on the landscape create different emphases; the choice can be guided by your own priorities.

When booking a holiday apartment in Athée-Sur-Cher, travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions are among the details that make the personal framework of your stay clear. The town itself brings together the themes of culture, the banks of the Cher, the cycle route and local tradition, without any one of these perspectives having to replace the others.

Other places

Other places at the same higher administrative level are Saint-Quentin-Sur-Indrois, Saint-Laurent-De-Lin, Ambillou, Le Boulay, Lerne, Chédigny, Perrusson and Truyes.

Local tradition

The Foire à l’andouillette takes place on the weekend of Palm Sunday and is considered the most important of the local events.

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