Activities

AT THE DOMAINE DU GUE DU ROI

1. THE FARM

The Ferme du Petit Gué du Roi is the farm adjoining the Estate. We breed American Paint and Quarter Horse horses and Scottish Highland cows on about thirty hectares.
And for the little ones, we have a mini-farm with Iroquois, the piebald donkey, Abigail, the dwarf goat, Blue, the local sheep, not to mention the chickens, roosters and ducks!

ACTIVITIES WITH ANIMALS

• Walk on foot with the Donkey Iroquois. We offer you our Iroquois donkey for a 45 min activity: 15 min preparation and 30 min walk; it will then be the responsibility of the parents who must accompany their children and agree to follow the safety rules, including wearing suitable shoes and not riding the animal. €10 per ride, atbook the day before (from 3 years old), subject to availability and weather conditions, ride only in hand, with at least one adult to accompany a child.
• Feed the Horses. We offer you dry bread, carrots or apples to feed our horses, foals and donkeys during a short 15-minute walk around the Estate; parents must accompany their children and agree to follow safety rules, including paying attention to electric fences and not entering the parks. Free service to be booked the day before subject to availability and weather conditions, with at least one adult to accompany a child.
• Observe Cows. We invite you to watch Pimkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, our two 2-year-old HIGHLAND heifers, cleaning up the poplar grove behind the Estate; PATIENCE RECOMMENDED; parents must accompanytheir children and agree to follow safety rules, including paying attention to electric fences and not entering the park. Free service to be booked the day before subject to availability and weather conditions, with at least one adult to accompany a kid.
• Discover the Mini-Farm . We invite you to get to know Iroquois, the piebald donkey, Abigail, the dwarf goat, Blue, the local sheep, and our other hens, roosters and ducks who are waiting for you in the enclosure! WELCOME CARESES; parents must accompany their children and agree to follow safety rules, including paying attention to fences and not entering the parks. Free service to be booked the day before subject to availability and weather conditions, with at least one adult to accompany a child.

2. HORSEBACK

EUROPEAN ROUTE OF ARTAGNAN

The Domaine du Gué du Roiis directly located on the course of the European Route D'Artagnan, a new equestrian route that connects the places of birth, Lupiac, and death, Maastricht, of the famous Gascon musketeer through 6 countries of the European Union, in passing through the important places of his real life or romanticized, for example the Château de Meung sur Loire which welcomed him in the work of Alexandre Dumas. In France, the Route includes 6 routes, 3 of which pass directly in front of the Estate: the Route Royale in the service of Louis XIV which passes through Auch, Paris and Lille in blue, the Route des Cardinaux in the footsteps of Richelieu and Mazarin via Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Nantes, Blois and Paris in burgundy, and the Route de Pinerolo to arrest and guard Fouquet via Nantes, Tours, Fontainebleau, Vaux le Vicomte, Sainte Croix and Pinerolo in Italy in purple. We can thus welcome riders and horses on reservation for a well-deserved stage in itinerancy or by a stay in star with the discovery of other hiking trails between Loire and Sologne like the Historical Path of the Valley of the Kings.

3. BY BIKE

Looking for authenticity and nature? Bike rides are for you! Whether you are alone, as a couple, with friends or family, the Loiret, FLAT territory, offers you 155 kilometers of developed and marked cycle paths along the Loire or nearby. Go by bicycle to the surrounding villages and towns: the Domaine du Gué du Roi is 5 minutes by bike from Cléry Saint André, 20 minutes from Meung sur Loire, 40 minutes from Beaugency and 1 hour from Orléans. Or take a breath of fresh air through the countryside and the forest from the Domaine du Gué du Roi thanks to Loiret Balades and its loops: for example, "From Cléry to the Butte des Elus" 2h / easy, "Entre Vignes and Orchards, from the Loire to the Loiret" 1h15 / easy, "Sur les Terres de Louis XI" 50 minutes / easy. We are labeled ACCUEIL VELO and offer a bike rental service on site.

BIKE HOME

• Shelter your equipment Several solutions are offered to you free of charge: leave your bikes inside the enclosure, shelter your bikes under the barn, lock your bikes in the stables. We accept no liability for loss, damage or theft.

• Take advantage of our small equipment La Ferme du Petit Gué du Roi provides you with small equipment to repair and protect yourself: tools, repair kit, pumps, lubricant, garden hose, brush, helmets, saddlebags, padlocks, baby seat for child from 1 to 4 years old (under the full responsibility of the parents).

• Rent bikes on site La Ferme du Petit Gué du Roi offers you the rental of mountain bikes for family use. For an adult, 20 € per day, 15 € for half a day. Deposit of €50 per bike.

LOIRE BY BIKE

The Domaine du Gué du Roi is located 1 km from the Loire à Vélo route which connects Nevers to Nantes over more than 800 km, the westernmost section of Eurovélo n°6 (route between the Black Sea and Atlantic). This unique itinerary allows you to discover all the beauties of the last wild river in Europe, its banks, its islands, its vineyards, its typical towns and villages and of course its many castles. It is landscaped, signposted and secure and uses cycle paths, old towpaths and low-traffic roads. Traffic is in both directions, very pleasant and easy. The section that concerns us is that between Orléans and Blois via Chambord over 97.5 km; it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Loire becomes royal... It takes 1 hour from Orléans and 2 hours from Blois by bike. We can accommodate all cyclists roaming along the Loire à Vélo or on a stay package over several days. We are referenced ACCUEIL VELO and recommended by the LE ROUTARD LOIRE A VELO guide.

4. ON FOOT

Simple stroller or seasoned hiker, the Loiret awaits you, especially our country Sologne Val Sud. The south bank of the Loire will offer you its Royal Basilica, but also its vineyards, its orchards and its other vegetable crops. Then head for Sologne with its pines, its heather moors, its sandy paths and its strings of ponds. Enough to awaken all your senses! The Domaine du Gué du Roi is in itself a small summary of this richness with its dozen hectares. All around, you will have a wide choice between:

• the great hiking trails such as the GR 655 Est Sentier de Saint Jacques de Compostelle and the GRP Historic Trail of the Valley of the Kings between Orléans and Chambord,
• the thematic itineraries accessible of course on foot, the Loire by bike and the European Route D'Artagnan,
• the PR (Walking and Hiking) which offer loops between 1 and 6 hours of walking,
• nature trails with educational panels such as the "Discovery Trail of the Isles" in Mareau aux Prés,
• unusual walks such as the "Visite des Eaux Bleues" in Tavers or the "Promenade des Moulins" in Olivet.

All these circuits are detailed on Loiret Balades .

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

The Domaine du Gué du Roi is located 1 km from the road to Saint Jacques de Compostela by the way of Tours called Via Turonensis which leaves Paris via Orléans and Tours to reach Saint Jean Pied de Port after some 1,000 km. The GR 655 East thus stops at Cléry Saint André, a major place of pilgrimage with its Royal Basilica, a flamboyant Gothic masterpiece which houses a magnificent chapel dedicated to Saint Jacques, before returning to the GR 3 between Meung sur Loire and Beaugency. . This routemythical also called the Great Way of Saint Jacques is considered the easiest because very pleasant and without great difference in height with beautiful architectural surprises. We will be delighted to welcome all pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela for a well-deserved rest.

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IN THE DOMAINE DE CHAMBORD 30 KM

1. CHAMBORD ON HORSEBACK

• Equestrian Show Discover in the former stables of the Marshal of Saxe the show "François 1er, le roi chevalier" which mixes for the pleasure of young and old aerobatics, stunts, fights between valiant knights and valiant steeds. And raptors are also in the game! From April to September, twice a day.

• Horse-drawn carriage ride Walk the paths of the park to the rhythm of a horse-drawn carriage and set off to encounter the fauna and flora in the private parts of the estate.You may see deer, roe deer, wild boar or osprey there, which will let themselves be approached by the peaceful draft horses. In July and August, several departures per day.

• Horse riding Go on horseback at dawn or dusk to observe among insiders (2-3 people) the wildlife of the National Reserve of Chambord, closed to the general public. From April to November.

• Horseback riding The Domaine de Chambord is open to riders who have previously requested authorization (email to be sent to dania.bellanger@chambord.org specifying the desired date). Riders and horses can then take the bridle paths subject to their "practicability", in particular the Route François 1er and Route de la Commission coming from the west, for unforgettable gallops. All year.

2. CHAMBORD BY BIKE

• La Grande Promenade Take the 23 km of cycle paths open all year round and called La Grande Promenade to discover an exceptional green setting classified Natura 2000, Historic Monument and World Heritage by UNESCO, and benefit from unique points of view on the chateau. Move away from the castle to discover the ponds of the Faisanderie or the Bonshommes, the great ditch or the vineyards of Ormetrou.

• Bike rental If you don't have the legs of great sportsmen, Chambord being still 2 hours by bike from the Domaine du Gué du Roi via the Loire à Vélo, we recommend that you rent bikes on site. For adults and children, hourly or half-day packages are offered at reasonable prices, including helmets and a map of the area.

• Rosalies rental Even more fun than bicycles with a capacity of 4 to 6 people, try the Rosalies with your family, these funny little carts on wheels. A circuit of 4.2 km allows in particular to go around the castle along the Canal du Cosson. The fully laid out route is really very pleasant and very easy. Flat rate rental by the hour.

• Parking and Lockers If you come to Chambord with your own bikes, you have 2 free parking lots at the entrance to visit the interior of the castle with lockers for your luggage. Otherwise, you can, always free of charge, cycle around the estate, including around the castle grounds, and enjoy a picnic on the lawns of the park or in the areas provided for this purpose.

3. CHAMBORD ON FOOT

• More than 20 km of trails Covering an area of more than 5,440 hectares, the Chambord estate is a high place of French natural heritage which is home to abundant and very high quality flora and fauna. Most of it remains under controlled access. to preserve the tranquility essential to the preservation of its biodiversity. Nevertheless, the 23 km of marked and equipped trails are available to walkers around the castle, along the canal or in the undergrowth; they are decorated with observatories, pontoons and educational panels.

• Observatories The Estate has no less than 11 observatories with free access in its public part, most of them along the François 1er road or the Commission road. Ideal places to open your ears wide and observe the fauna and the flora, especially if you are equipped with binoculars.The largest are those of the Gabillère, the Espace du Chêne, the Ricaninière, the Rond Béatrix and can accommodate around forty people; discover others while having fun with Geocaching .

• Nature Activities Take advantage of an experienced guide to enter the reserved part of the estate or to play detective and pick up the clues left by the animals; in groups of up to 20 people. Only July and August.

• Deer's slabIn the mating season, come and listen to the master of the place with a forest guide from the shelter of a watchtower installed in the area closed to the public. From mid-September to mid-October by reservation from April.