Wild but sensitive areas | Blois Chambord – Loire Valley Tourist Office

We’re letting you in on a real secret with these 9 walks. Many local residents are unaware of them, and have never even walked through these sensitive natural areas. And yet, the key to their preservation lies in education and a well-marked trail.

These 9 areas offer a wealth of diversity: landscape, geology, fauna, flora… Even when the plain seems empty, dry or inert, it’s not! Keep your eyes peeled! Signs, digital tools such as Guidigo (a free family app), Espèces Game (a puzzle game) or a guidebook will help you to detect presences and read the landscape.

It’s an investigation you’ll carry out patiently, without any certainty. At the end of the tour, you’ll come away refreshed.

The Roquezon spur

One-hour walk on level ground, along a specially prepared path. Guidigo game (free family app) and information panels available.

The 25-hectare area is sparse and maintained solely by sheep. You’ll see a “pain de sucre”, a kind of small stone igloo, typical of the Beauce region, for protection in inclement weather. The flora consists of cytis, wild roses and other weeds. The fauna can be seen on the ground, for example one of the region’s large grasshoppers, while the many insects present provide a providential larder for passerines and shrikes.

Continue your walk to the 11th-century Villiers chapel (1.6km).

Species Game riddle game (pdf to download)

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Grand-Pierre and Vitain valleys

2h30 walk, with a short climb, alternating shade and full sun. Guidigo game, signs and Nature House nearby.

A 300-hectare national reserve with 2,900 known species. Along the way, you’ll see how the landscape changes, from the dry plains of the Petite Beauce to the mossy wetlands of the Cisse valley. At the summit, Neolithic remains – tumuli and open caves – have influenced the flora. At the end of the trail, a suspension bridge allows you to cross the river.

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Maison de la Nature et de la Réserve de Marolles

Molinas

1-hour walk in the commune of Maves, alternating sun and shade. Guidigo game and explanatory panels.

The 9-hectare landscape is identical to that of the national reserve. An arid, limestone plain with groves, and marshes scattered throughout the valley. Here and there, wild orchids and pulsatilla anemones. In the marshes, the reeds allow birds to nest in peace.

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Buisson Sabotier

45-minute geological walk, signposted with ramp and wheelchair-accessible.

An educational trail to understand the geological formation of the Petite Beauce. Superimposed layers from the Tertiary and Quaternary periods. Simply breathtaking. It also bears witness to human life 300,000 years ago in the commune of Landes-le-Gaulois.

Species Game (pdf to download)

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Les Rinceaux

A 1h30 walk, to be enjoyed by all the family, following the various paths and signs, and playing with the Guidigo app (download the app and the route you’re interested in before setting off).

Very easy to access, between Molineuf and Chambon-sur-Cisse, this marshland area is bordered by the Cisse river and a fish bypass (to avoid a mill). Wooden walkways have been installed to immerse you in nature. All you have to do is listen, see and identify. A small bridge spans the river to reach the church of Saint Secondin.

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The Little Loire and the Isle of Muides

Unmarked walk, to be undertaken with a guide from the Maison de la Loire in St-Dyé-sur-Loire. Nearby, the Base de Loisirs du Domino in Suèvres has an all-round trail.

This sensitive area is made up of pike spawning grounds, sands and lawns that are subject to the alternating action of the Loire. A real lesson in life on the Loire! Some of the islands are now connected to the river banks, leaving a tiny arm of water known as the Petite Loire, visible on an aerial view. To preserve the nature that has developed there, should we intervene to clear the Petite Loire?

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See you at

Maison de la Loire du Loir-et-Cher - Maison du Tourisme

In a 17th-century building in the heart of this small city of character, plunge into the heart of the Loire heritage and discover an original space. The scenographic space...

Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire

L'île de la Folie

2-hour walk on signposted route. Virtual tour available.

You won’t need a boat to get there, as the island is now connected to the banks of the Loire. The 50-hectare island is densely forested, and is subject to flooding from the Loire, making it a favorite spot for amphibians. In dry periods, birds such as terns and sand plants enjoy the area. If you’d like to observe a beaver, we recommend absolute silence – nothing can stop it, even when it’s busy cutting willows or poplars (see the Maison de la Loire video).

Species Game (pdf to download)

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Loire Terrace

2-hour walk opposite the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire in Onzain. Guidigo game available and information panels on site.

An immense tongue of sand on the banks of the Loire, on which grows a forest that is often submerged. The ebb and flow of water gives rise to a unique flora, such as the snowdrop. And then there’s the Bréphine butterfly that flies away in early spring. The walk will give artists the opportunity to draw, paint or photograph the Loire and the château. 5 desks have been set up for this purpose.

Russy shooting range

A walk to complement the educational trail in the Russy forest (1.5km) in St Gervais-la-Forêt.

This field is an example of the reappropriation of nature after human activity (military training since Napoleonic times). In just a few years, this floodplain has become home to birds such as passerines and numerous insects. The rare scaly lathrea, with its bouquet of white flowers, can also be seen here.