The important town of Chateauroux is situated in the centre of the Indre department (Centre region) about half-way between Orleans (to the north) and Limoges (to the south).
Exploring Châteauroux
France This Way review: while Chateauroux contains some monuments of interest it would not generally be considered as a tourist destination but rather a town to visit if you are passing.
Before you start to explore be sure to visit the Chateauroux Tourist Office to ask for the detailed town guide showing a large number of monuments and buildings of interest in the town, and suggesting two routes to follow as you explore, one focussing on the medieval period (the northern part of the town centre) and the other on more recent history (the southern half of the town centre).
Most visits to Chateauroux will concentrate in the older part of the town, where many houses can be seen that were built from the 16th century onwards, when Chateauroux became an important local centre for textile production.
Notable monuments in Chateauroux include the Chateau Raoul, with its origins dating from the 12th century and which gave the town its name, can be seen from outside but is not open to the public, and a 15th century tower on the Rue de la Vieille Prison.
Along the Rue de la Gare several of the houses have interesting windows and decorative elements, especially at the upper levels - see numbers 12 and 72 for examples.
The 13th century Cordeliers convent was built by the Franciscans and includes a church, ancillary buildings such as the dormitory and refectory, and a cloisters accesed by five large arches in a stone wall. The convent also has well maintained terraced gardens, and high quality art exhibitions, usually of contemporary art, are regularly held here.
Other religious monuments in Chateauroux include the Church of Saint-Martial, dating in part from the 13th century and retaining a roman style nave, and the 19th century neo-gothic style Church of Saint-André.
Chateauroux Museums
Local history, arts and traditions are also well represented in the town with two museums:
- The Museum of the Hotel Bertrand is situated in an impressive 18th century villa and has exhibits related to archaeology, historical collections related to Napoleon, and fine arts represented by paintings from the 15th - 17th centuries.
- The Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions is dedicated to life as it used to be in the Berry region, with local costumes and historical tools being the main exhibits on display.
Attractions nearby
Most leisure activities near Chateauroux are based in the Chateauroux forest, to the south of the town at Le Poinconnet, which has lots of trails, cycle routes and opportunities to enjoy the countryside. Within the forest you can visit the popular animal park of Haute Touche, which has a very wide range of animals and is set in a very extensive region of forest. We also enjoyed a visit to the nature reserve called La Prairie Saint-Gilda.
There are also several monuments of interest nearby, such as the ruins of the abbey at Déols and a quaint roman style church at Ardentes.
Further afield, to the south-west of Chateauroux you can see the pretty river frontage in the village of Argenton-sur-Creuse as well as the pretty village of Gargilesse-Dampierre.
You can find more travel ideas in the Indre guide and the Loire Valley guide.
Arrange a visit to Chateauroux
Hotels in Chateauroux
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Map of Chateauroux and places nearby
Visit near Chateauroux with France This Way reviews
Argenton-sur-Creuse
There are several churches of interest here in Argenton-sur-Creuse, and a very pretty walk along the banks of the Creuse river
Argenton-sur-Creuse guide
Nohant-Vic
The 18th century French manor house where George Sand lived is the main attraction in the village of Nohant-Vic
Nohant-Vic guide
Saint-Chartier
Take a stroll through the grounds of the castle here in the quiet town of Saint-Chartier
Saint-Chartier guide
Issoudun
There are few important monuments here in Issoudun, but we enjoyed a stroll around the old town near the 'White Tower'
Issoudun guide
Gargilesse-Dampierre
Gargilesse-Dampierre is a very small village, but also very pretty and in a lovely setting. Don't miss the frescoes in the church crypt!
Gargilesse-Dampierre guide
La Chatre
La Chatre is a small town and quick to explore - before setting off to discover the other castles and countryside nearby
La Chatre guide... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Indre
Tourist classifications for Chateauroux
Chateauroux is classified as a village in bloom (ville fleurie) 4*
Address: Châteauroux, Loire Valley, 36000, France || GPS coordinates: latitude 46.810278, longitude 1.691111
Plan your visit to Chateauroux, Indre
Sightseeing & tourist attractions to visit nearby
- Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre collegiale St Etienne (monuments on French pilgrim routes): heritage site (25 km)
- Jardin du château de Bouges: remarkable garden (26 km)
- Bouges-le-Chateau Castle: national monument (26 km)
- Issoudun: ville fleurie 4* (28 km)
- Jardin du domaine de George Sand: remarkable garden (28 km)
- George Sand House: national monument (30 km)
- Vatan: village d'etape (31 km)
- La Chatre: recommended detour (34 km)
- Veuil: ville fleurie 4* (37 km)
- Brenne: regional natural parc (38 km)
- Etangs de la Brenne: site of natural beauty (38 km)
- Valencay: recommended detour (40 km)
Market days in Chateauroux, France
Regular market(s) are held in Chateauroux each Wednesday & Tuesday & Thursday & Saturday all day & Friday. (Markets are held in the morning unless stated.)
The French version of this page is at Chateauroux (Francais)