The Region
& Activities
The Château d’Alogny lies in beautiful, tranquil countryside only an hour’s drive from the magnificent châteaux of the Loire Valley. Many attractions are to be found within easy distance. The healing waters of La Roche Posay, a 5 km bike ride from Alogny, have drawn visitors since Roman times. In addition to specific therapies, guests can indulge themselves with a variety of massage and other spa treatments.
The old town has narrow, winding streets. The ancient donjon has recently been restored and will soon become a museum. La Roche Posay also possesses a famous casino, a golf course, an equestrian centre and a racetrack, in addition to all regular shops and facilities, including bike rentals.
Walkers,
cyclists, horse-back riders and naturalists enjoy the network of ancient trails
and footpaths that weave through the surrounding woods and fields, while the
local rivers provide delight to swimmers, kyakers and canoists.
Near
Lathus-St-Remy on the Gartempe is the Porte d’Enfer olympic-class white-water
canoe course.
Rock climbing is popular on the
limestone cliffs along the
Gartempe near Mérigny. For
naturalists, the huge Brenne Regional Park, with its profusion of wildlife, is a
special
attraction, as is the famous Marais Poitevin or “Green Venice”. Located
near the attractive Atlantic seaport of La
Rochelle, one can rent a boat to explore this network of ancient canals
that permeate the marshes.
The villages, hamlets and farms that dot the landscape are
filled with unexpected architectural delights. Throughout the summer
months there are frequent concerts, recitals, and art exhibitions,
together with well-publicized
village fêtes and firework displays. The fireworks at
Angles-sur-l'Anglin on the first Sunday in August are exceptionally impressive.
Information about spa treatments and local events in the region can be found at the the Tourist Office in the town square at La Roche Posay. For a selection of special events check:
Among
the many historic and architectural gems of the region are the great châteaux
of the Loire Valley, about an hour’s drive to the north. These include
Chenonceau, Chambord, Azay-le-Rideau and Amboise. Also at Amboise is the Manoir
du Clos-Lucé, the final home of Leonardo de Vinci, which houses a remarkable
collection of mechanical models based on his drawings. For
information on châteaux
in the area check out
Writers in this peaceful, undiscovered
heart of France are touched by its
timeless magic, while artists discover at first hand the inspiration of the
French impressionist painters, through
the subtle interplay of ever-changing light and shadow as the seasons progress.
Historic
sites abound throughout the region, some
dating back to palaeolithic times. The
caves that permeate the limestone cliffs along our river valleys show evidence
of human occupation dating back more than 30,000 years.
Most striking are the bas-relief figures
discovered in the Abri du Roc-aux-Sorciers near Angles-sur-l’Anglin.
Dating from the end of the last Ice Age about 17,000 years ago, these are
comparable in importance to the cave paintings at Lascaux.
Unfortunately they are not accessible to the public, but as at Lascaux, a
striking facsimile museum has been constructed nearby. 
Although no cave art has been
found at Alogny, we do have our own prehistoric monument. Standing on the lawn in front of the château, a
giant prehistoric megalith or menhir provides mute testimony that this
has been revered as a sacred place since time immemorial. The menhir’s
true significance remains shrouded in mystery, and we can only guess at what
magical scenes and ceremonies it may have witnessed over the course of its long
history.
The nearby château at Le Grand Pressigny houses a fine museum of prehistory. The abbey of St. Savin, and nearby village church at Antigny, possess some of the finest mediaeval frescos in Europe. At Civaux, hundreds of giant Merovingian stone coffins litter the churchyard. These date from the great battle in which Clovis, King of the Franks, defeated the Visigoth warriors of Alaric in 508 AD.
Angles-sur-l’Anglin, with its striking ruined cliff-top château, is
widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful villages in France, and
attracts many artists.
Monks at the ancient Benedictine abbey of Fontgombault are renowned for their daily services, which are accompanied by powerful Gregorian chant.
Less than an hour away from Alogny, near the historic city of Poitiers, is Futuroscope, the extremely popular theme park devoted to the moving image, in which the latest film and computer-graphics technologies may be experienced. Futuroscope is part of the engineering department of the university of Poitiers. For full information go to:
For the gourmet and sybarite, Château d’Alogny provides an idyllic base from which to explore. A focus of gastronomic excellence, there are several restaurants of exceptional quality (and modest price) within easy distance. Unquestionably the best restaurant in the area is Restaurant Christophe Cadieu just off the square at Saint Savin. Chez Gautier in Leigné-les-Bois (only open on weekends), regularly attracts visitors who come to dine from Paris, as does La Promenade (Jacky Dallais). Not far behind is La Promenade in Yzeures, owned by Geneviève Bussereau, one of France’s foremost women chefs. We also recommend, among others, the Val de Creuse in La Roche Posay and In addition, there are several outstanding village inns in the neighborhood that serve excellent 'family style' meals. Local wines abound. The nearby Château de Ris, for example, produce wines of outstanding quality and exceptional value.
Weekly markets in nearby towns offer an endless profusion of
tempting
delicacies, including local wines, cheeses and pâtés, together with a wealth
of fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood. The region is particularly
renowned for its profusion of goat cheeses.
The most important local markets are in La Roche Posay (Tuesday), Chatellerault (Thursday), Saint Savin (Friday), Chauvigny (Saturday) and Le Blanc (Saturday).