Bracieux
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Bracieux

Bracieux

Quiet Sologne village near Chambord, with an old market hall and easy access to Loire châteaux

Bracieux is a quiet village about 15 km south of Blois, on the edge of the Chambord estate and at the northern boundary of the Sologne — the vast forested and lake-dotted countryside south of the Loire. It makes a good base for visiting several of the best Loire châteaux without staying in a larger, busier town.

The village has a handsome old market hall at its centre and two rivers flowing through it. The surrounding Sologne region, with its wetlands and lakes, is excellent for walking, cycling, and wildlife watching.

Guide

Day Trips

Bracieux's value as a base is the proximity of half a dozen of the best Loire châteaux. Chambord, the largest of all the Loire palaces, is eight kilometres north through the Chambord estate forest; Cheverny, the most carefully kept and the model for Hergé's Marlinspike Hall, is ten kilometres west; Blois and Chaumont are further but easy to reach by car.

The Loire à Vélo cycle network passes close to Bracieux and connects the village to both Chambord and Cheverny on dedicated forest tracks. Bicycle rental is available in the village.

Guide

Eating Out

Bracieux is small but has a long tradition of serious cooking — for decades the village was on the map of French gastronomes thanks to the Michelin-starred Relais de Bracieux, run by Bernard Robin. The Relais has changed hands more than once, but Bracieux's reputation for good Sologne cooking persists, and a handful of restaurants and small hotels keep it alive.

Guide

Things to Do

Bracieux itself has only a handful of sights: a 16th-century covered market hall, the small parish church, and the two stone bridges crossing the rivers Beuvron and Bonneure. The real reason most people stay here is the proximity of the great Loire châteaux — Chambord is eight kilometres away, Cheverny ten — and the walking trails through the Sologne forest.