| Stretching southeast of Blois, the Sologne is one of those traditionally rural regions of France that help keep alive the national self-image. Depending on the weather and the season, it can be one of the most dismal areas in central France: damp, flat, featureless and foggy. But at other times its forests, lakes, ponds and marshes have a quiet magic – in summer, for example, when the heather is in bloom and the ponds are full of water lilies, or in early autumn when you can go hunting for mushrooms. Wild boar and deer roam here, not to mention the ducks, geese, quails and pheasants, who far outnumber the small human population. Two grandes randonnées run through the Sologne, the GR41 and GR3C, and there are numerous other paths, well signposted and detailing the accessibility for bicycles. From Easter to the end of October, tourist offices in most of Sologne's towns and villages can provide maps and details of bike rental or horse riding, as well as accommodation details. The organization Sologne Nature Environnement, based in Romorantin (tel 02.54.76.27.188, [email protected]), runs guided walks and nature-spotting expeditions right through the year. If you're exploring the Sologne during the hunting season (Oct 1–March 1), don't stray from the marked paths: there are endless stories of people being accidentally shot.
Pages in section ‘Sologne’: Grand Meaulnes, Domaine du Ciran.
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