Nibelle is a town in Loiret, in the Center-Val de Loire region, 20 km south of Pithiviers.
Almost half of the territory of the locality, with an area of 27 km², is covered by the national forest of Orleans, and dotted with ponds. This privileged environment is now the primary wealth of the village, but in the past, its reputation has been forged thanks to its potters.
From the 13th century, Nibelle specializes in the manufacture of "boëlles", jugs decorated with a dog's head having the mouth open to serve water or wine and in the 16th century, these are the whistles made terracotta tiles that are successful. During the same period, castles were erected: the course of the Loire is close (20 km), and the game forest is suitable for the great hunts of the noble courtiers. King Charles IX would have even offered a castle located at Nibelle to one of his mistresses!
This heritage and its forest will delight lovers of green tourism who, between museums and hikes, will be able to fully recharge their batteries at Nibelle, which has nearly 1,200 inhabitants.
In terms of heritage, many sites can mark out a discovery walk in the locality.
The jewel of Nibelle is the Château du Hallier, erected at the end of the 15th century and remodeled in the 16th century by Charles de l'Hospital who acquired it in 1537. A time used as a quarry in the 18th century, the building lost a floor and in the 19th century, a farm was even built there. Listed in the Inventory since 1967, the castle is now preserved. The whole presents an intermediate character between the fortified castles of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance residences. Its curtain walls dotted with towers, its materials (bricks and stones) make it unique. The property is private but visible from the outside.
Also worth seeing are the ruins of the priory of Flotin (12th century) and, nearby, the Château de Flotin (19th century), the remains of the Château de la Guette (19th century) or even, in the village itself, the church Saint-Sulpice which dates from 1866.
Several crosses, a fountain of devotion and a few noble farms or mansions can finally be observed during this circuit.
Guided tours of the village and its immediate surroundings are offered in season. Information on +33 2 38 30 50 02.
We continue a stopover or a stay (the town has several lodgings and a top-of-the-range campsite) at Nibelle by visiting three museums, a significant figure for a village!
Housed in the former presbytery, the Barillet Museum was inaugurated in 2006, named after the former parish priest from 1945 to 1960, who built up a collection of religious art objects. The opportunity to admire polychrome wooden statues, paintings, religious objects... Price: 1.50 to 3 euros. Information on +33 2 38 32 23 66.
Next, see the Pottery and Forest museum dedicated to the local craft past. You can admire models and tools used for woodworking (barrels), reconstructed interiors and of course a number of objects and documents related to ancestral know-how in pottery. Free admission but guided tour by appointment. Contact on +33 2 38 30 50 02.
Finally, the Terracotta Museum was opened more recently, which presents collections of pottery and ceramics produced in Nibelle from the Merovingian period to the 16th century and even to the 19th century. Price: 2 and 3 euros.
It is then time to explore the national forest of Orléans (the largest in France) and its Natura 2000 protected areas (birds, flora).
Many hiking trails accessible to walkers and two-wheelers are traced in this ocean of greenery where some bodies of water have nevertheless managed to remain as aquatic clearings appreciated by wildlife...
The Caillettes belvedere, which allows you to observe these hundreds of hectares of forest from above, is however closed to the public for security reasons. However, it remains a crossroads where many paths intersect. Maps and information on +33 2 38 30 50 02.
