Cher is a departement in west-central France (Centre region).
Geography
Cher is a département located in the Centre region of France. It was named after the river Cher that flows through the area. Its main cities are Bourges, Sancerre, Saint Amand-Montrond, and Vierzon, Bourges being the largest. The South of Cher meets with the very first foothills of Auvergne, and the East frontier is determined by the river Loire.
Climate
Due to its location, the climate of Cher is temperate. It is equidistant from the Ocean and from the Alps, which protects it from the two meteorological influences related to these (Oceanic and Mountain climates). Average summer temperatures are around 22 degrees.
History
Cher was created March, 4th 1790 during the French Revolution. Before this period, Cher, along with Indre, was forming the Province de Berry.
Towns
Bourges is the third biggest city of the Centre region, after Tours and Orléans. Tourists find this city convenient for it is located in the centre of France and therefore is half way to all destinations. Bourges is bordered by a few rivers, which explains the existence of swamps close to the medieval part of the city; One can wander through the charming streets of the medieval city and discover the Gallo Roman ramparts, its characteristic timber framed houses, or the impressive cathedral Saint-Etienne de Bourges which is a listed UNESCO World Heritage site.
On top of a 312m high hill, the medieval Sancerre gets an incredible view of the Val de Loire. Vineyards wrap up each side of the hill and produce the famous Sancerre wine. Pedestrians can discover the ancient winegrowers and bakers houses, the 15th century monuments or the numerous art galleries.
Vierzon is a city of water, crossed by the Berry canal and 5 rivers, including Yvère and Cher rivers. The city is also surrounded by a 7500 HA (18533 acres) national park. There, one can visit La Halle des Métiers where craftsmen and artists exhibit their creations, La Maison de l’Eau which is a former water mill transformed into a museum, or Le Musée des Fours Banaux created around two ancient ovens dating from the 15th century.
Saint Amand-Montrond owns a few labels of which it can be proud of: it is a city of Arts, a green city, the most sportive of the Centre region and a technological leader within the jewels industry. In 2000, La Cite de l’Or (the Gold City), an interactive museum presenting the history of Gold, its uses and transformations, was created. Le Château de Meillant, the numerous gardens, or the ancient roman amphithéâtre of Drevant (4km from Saint Amand) are worth seeing.
Gastronomy
La Route des Vignobles du Coeur de France is a route along which the traveller will discover cellars of the Centre region and its five Appellations d’Origine Controlée (a label that testifies to the origin and quality of the product): Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly, and Coteaux du Giennois. These vineyards are famous for their white wine made from the Sauvignon grape variety. Some also produce a fruity red wine made from the Pinot noir grape variety.
One of the Cher specialities is the pâté berrichon, which is stuffing made from meat, milk and soft part of the bread, with hard boiled eggs, the lot being then wrapped up in shortcrust pastry.
Other typical recipes would be le jau au sang which is a flambé rooster with sauce (cream, egg yolk and ground liver), pâté de pommes de terre (potatoes, cream, oinions and bacon), beignets (fritter) with honey or acacia flowers, or millats which are recipes based on black cherries.
Cher is renowned for its goat cheeses, of which Crottin de Chavignol and Selles-sur-Cher are examples.
Activities
Nature: Cher is a region close to nature; therefore, it is worth visiting for example les 5 Jardins Remarquables (Outstanding Gardens) located in Anay le Veil, Apremont sur Allier, Loye sur Arnon, Orsan and Bourges. Cher also offers you the opportunity to try fluvial tourism and discover the region along of the river Loire, or to go fishing at one of the regional lakes. Hiking and hunting activities are also available in the Cher département.
Sports: Numerous clubs offer horse riding, canoeing, golf, cycle touring, or air activities.
Useful information:
Tourism office in Centre:
www.francetourism.com
Maps of Centre:
www.ign.fr
www.viamichelin.com
Gites in Centre:
www.1000gites.com
Travel from the UK
By air: Ryanair flies to Tours and Poitiers from Stansted.
By rail: catch the Eurostar to Paris (Gare du Nord) and then connect with a TGV line to Le Mans, Angers, Nantes, Poitiers, La Rochelle and Angoulême from Gare Montparnasse.
Our team of sale advisers at Sextant Properties will be happy to help you to find a property in Centre. We have a large network of partners in Centre. All of them are registered French real estate agents and speak both French and English. Whatever kind of property you are looking for: farmhouse, longere, barn, gite, B&B, country house, mill, castle or chateau, we will do our best to find a property in Centre matching your requirements.