One of Berry's main cultural attractions, the Jacques Coeur Route is a reference to the famous merchant from Bourges who made his fortune throughout the Mediterranean in the 15th century. Its paths run from Vallon-en-Sully, in Allier, to Gien in Loiret. There are a total of 18 sites to visit.
One of the best-known stops is undoubtedly the famous Jacques Coeur Palace in Bourges. Inside the palace, you can see the hearts that were the symbol of that notable man, along with the fleur-de-lis, a royal emblem. An architectural masterpiece considered to be one of the finest Gothic houses in France!
Further to the south, Meillant Castle has a fascinating western façade in the Flamboyant Gothic style. The richly decorated Lion Tower is like a huge vertical fresco.
Not far from there, Noirlac Abbey displays its streamlined façades in the pretty village of Bruère-Allichamps. Behind its exterior's pared-down aesthetic are some remarkable features, like its light-filled abbey church or its cloister containing some beautiful carved capitals.
Around fifteen kilometres away, Ainay-le-Vieil Castle attracts visitors not only for its medieval walls and imposing moat, but also for its magnificent themed gardens, rose garden and English-style park.
If you are starting your historical adventure from the north, from Gien and its castle-museum, you will begin by visiting two emblematic places that mark the start of the Jacques Coeur Route: La Verrerie Castle and the village of Aubigny-sur-Nère. The former, erected by the Stuart family, symbolises the important legacy bequeathed to Berry by Scotland. You can see traces of the Stuarts in the 15th-century chapel and its star-spangled vault, adorned with medallions depicting that famous Scottish family. Aubigny-sur-Nère, meanwhile, has some superb half-timbered houses dating from the 16th century as well as a castle that also belonged to the Stuarts in days of yore!
The Jacques Coeur Route boasts other treasures like Peufeilhoux Castle, whose architecture will take you from the Middle Ages to the Belle Époque, or La Chapelle-d'Angillon Castle and its museum devoted to the famous author Alain-Fournier, who wrote Le Grand Meaulnes. A fascinating journey across Berry!
