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Descartes
in the Loire Valley
Descartes is set on the
river Creuse, in Southern Touraine within the Loire
Valley. The town was home to the famous philosopher and
mathematician René Descartes "I think therefore I am"
and there is museum dedicated to him in the house where
he lived. It is open from 16
March until 21 November daily from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00
p.m. every day except Tuesdays, like most museums in
France.
The town centre has a good variety
of commercial activities which include a cinema,
individual boutiques, independent wine shop (English
spoken) plus chemist, bank post office and mini market.
There is ample parking within the
town.
The village has a very
good, busy, Sunday morning market, where you can buy fresh home-grown produce and wines of
the region or simply enjoy the atmosphere.
There is a
choice of well-stocked supermarkets at the edge of
town that make an ideal stop-off point,
if travelling down from Tours to a holiday
destination in Southern Touraine.
They hold an evening
market on the riverside at
the
Quai Couratin on the first Friday in August every
year which normally includes live music.
For
leisure Descartes offers a heated
outdoor swimming pool complex with
slides, (no
outdoor shorts allowed); baby pool,
25 metre pool and large sunbathing
area, cafeteria, children's play
park, crazy golf, fishing, tennis
plus canoeing on the river Cruise
courtesy of the local Kayak Club.
Swimming pool is open
only in summer.
Sunday, June 14: Door open from
14:30 - 18:30, free entry
Opening times:
From June 3 to July 3:
©
Mairie de Descartes
The town has lovely, well-cared-for
gardens which also have a small
animal park for the kids. It is laid
out on the banks of the river Creuse
and if you visit the town you should
make a point of taking a stroll
through it - you'll be glad you did!
The bridge over the river Creuse here has
always been an important crossing, forming
part of the pilgrims route 'Santiago de
Compostela' to Spain and as part of the old
main route from Paris to Bordeaux. Jim
McNeill has a good article about the
bridge here... in his 'Social history of
Touraine' blog.
There is a good well stocked tourist office
in the town. This is a good place to park to
explore the town or to visit the market. You
can also pick up a map for local marked-out
walking routes in and around the town from
here.
The town has a link with the World War II in
that the line separating occupied and
free France is on the road heading out of
the town in the direction of Barrou / Le Blanc.
Another
sad connection with WWII can be found
nearby in the village of Maillé, in the
direction of St.Maur-de-Touraine
where on June 10, 1944 as Paris was being
liberated, the village residents (124), mainly
women and children, were the victims of an
organized massacre from the occupying German
army in retaliation for actions of the
resistance. The massacre lasted all morning. In
the afternoon and late into the night, the
village was bombarded with artillery shelling ,
completing its destruction. There is a
small museum there dedicated to the victims.
You can also explore the troglodyte dwellings at
nearby St.Rémy-sur Creuse. Ethni'Cité, as it is referred
to gives you a glimpse - just a glimpse- of what cave
dwelling living and working was like. The
Directions and time to Descartes
https://www.ville-descartes.fr/
Official website of the village
https://loirevalleyexperiences.blogspot.fr/
A walk around the town in
pictures.
"Author: Jim
Craig"
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