Around the Lily of the Valley's scenery
Photo de la Vallée Troglodytique des Goupillières
Photo de la Vallée Troglodytique des Goupillières
Azay-le-Rideau

Around the Lily of the Valley's scenery

Fauna
Flora
Heritage and history
River and stream
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From the heart of the town to the Lys valley, it's just a short step... A route that will give you a change of scenery with its variety of landscapes: built heritage, Indre, forest, troglodytes and farmland are all part of this beautiful walk.

Attachment

  • Au détour de la Vallée du Lys - Azay-le-Rideau

    Credit: Au détour de la Vallée du Lys - Azay-le-Rideau - Touraine Vallée de l'Indre

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Description

  1. Flora and fauna
    Rolling green countryside, forests, peaceful valleys, vineyards and sunny hillsides.... Birds, hares, squirrels, wild boar - all ecosystems to discover along the way.
  2. The Goupillières site
    In 1982, Louis-Marie Chardon uncovered the 53rd and last known underground refuge in Touraine. 15 years later, the site was brought back to life... Open to the public since 2000, the site is a wonderful introduction to the world of farming. It's a wonderful way to remember that in Touraine, there was a whole people behind the castles!
  3. The Lily's Valley
    You'll be amazed by nature: a bird's-eye view of the valley as you follow the hillside.
  4. Château d'Azay-Le-Rideau
    Balzac wrote in Les Deux Amis (an unfinished text evoking Touraine and its inhabitants): I am certainly not intolerant, but I cordially give the devil to those who have not seen AZAY!... That marvellous château, whose foundations are wonderfully planted in the Indre!...
  5. Saint-Symphorien Church
    The church is a combination of different volumes from successive eras. The earliest building may date back to the 8th century, but it has been entirely replaced by the new mid-11th-century construction corresponding to the present south nave. In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, a short nave with a semicircular apse was added. In the 16th century, a new section was added to the north side of the church, transforming it into a church with two adjoining naves. Listed as a Historic Monument.
  6. The Azay Mill
    The mill at Azay-Le-Rideau has a central bow-shaped body and a 16th-century roof structure. A real postcard for the commune, it is one of 18 mills in the Indre region of Azay-Le-Rideau, including the Moulin de Perré, which still has its millstones and paddlewheels, and the Moulin d'Aunay.
  • Departure : Parking de l'Ile
  • Arrival : Parking de l'Ile
  • Towns crossed : Azay-le-Rideau, Druye, and Saché

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Sensitive areas

Along your trek, you will go through sensitive areas related to the presence of a specific species or environment. In these areas, an appropriate behaviour allows to contribute to their preservation. For detailed information, specific forms are accessible for each area.
The site was designated in 2005 under the Birds Directive. The Park has been coordinating the site since 2010 (initially for the period 2010-2016, then renewed for 2016-2019 and 2019-2022), in conjunction with the CPIE Touraine-Val de Loire and the Indre-et-Loire Chamber of Agriculture.

The low valleys are largely covered by natural flood meadows, which are mown and/or grazed. These meadows form large complexes that are home to rare and endangered birds: corncrake, red-backed shrike, meadowlark, spotted crake, etc.

Certain sectors are characterized by a dense bocage network, with pollarded trees surrounding the meadows (Véron bocage): this is the home of the Common Fritillary, Natterjack Toad, Great Capricorn... 

Finally, the banks of the Vienne and Indre rivers are occupied by alluvial woodlands and poplar plantations.
Impacted practices:
Aquatic, Land
Sensitivity periods:
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Contact:
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