Yes, Chédigny, from flower to butterfly, is fortunate to be recognized as the only garden village in France! And we can deplore the unusual nature of this distinction....
Chédigny, in Indre-et-Loire, of course....
Everyone knows and recognizes that the Loire Valley is the garden of France (how can I be a chauvinist? And first of all, how did you know I'm a Touraine?).
And this unique garden has seduced kings and princes who have sprinkled it with castles, tributes paid to its beauty, precious ornaments of its valleys and hills (how can I not be objective?)
In short, in the Loire Valley, there is Indre-et-Loire, and in Indre-et-Loire, nestled among roses, there is Chédigny!
Chédigny
Chédigny is indeed the only village in France that is classified as a "Remarkable Garden".
It started in 1998, under the impetus of its then mayor, Pierre Louault, who overturned the traditional layout of the sidewalks by creating flowery areas.
Indeed, the central street had become a road full of trucks, lined with parked cars, as happens in many villages. But in this case, the mayor wanted to turn the tide, and make his village more attractive, more welcoming, and more aesthetic for all.
Soon, generous flower beds planted with roses, shrubs and perennials appeared on the sidewalks.
And then, taking advantage of the necessary work to bury the networks, well... the sidewalks... they have disappeared altogether! In favour of the appearance of all kinds of perennial flowers, various plants, shrubs, and very many roses.
And, over time, each year, new streets that serve the centre of the village are planted with vegetation.
There are now more than 1000 roses, mainly old roses, hundreds of shrubs, thousands of perennials,
and many bulbs that bloom again every spring.
And no weedkiller is used!
And, as a gift, the birds come back, and chirp in the climbing roses that go up along the facades!
The heart of the village is a "meeting place"
The signs clearly indicate that pedestrians are a priority, and both residents and visitors use the roadway quietly, as the cars that share it with them drive at a walking pace: 20 km/h maximum!
The inhabitants "play the game", and participate greatly in this flowery environment, the flowering of private courtyards and gardens being in beautiful harmony with that of the streets.
During your walk, don't forget to visit the garden of the presbytery, which has been reworked by specialists, and which is at the origin of the rebirth of the vegetable garden, the orchard, the apothecary square, without forgetting of course the superb flower beds!If you can, try to spend the Mother's Day weekend there, the date of the annual Chédigny Rose Festival.
A little walk?
To prolong the bucolic, quiet, almost dreamy atmosphere of this garden village, you are invited to do, in whole or in part, a 13-kilometre hike, starting next to the 12th century church. You will discover forest paths, the sweetness of the Tours meadows, and the secrets of the Indre valley, and the Indrois.
You can also choose the bike, which the holiday village La Saulaie offers for rent, and, thus, follow the cycle touring loop "the rose in the valley" or, if you like, in a few pedal rides, go visit Loches, which is only about fifteen kilometres away...
Mairie de Chédigny
5, place de la Mairie
37310 Chédigny
Tél. : 02 47 92 51 43
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