Cours-les-Barres France
Frequently Asked Questions
Along the Loire lateral canal, in front of a handful of pale stone houses. This is a barge mooring, not a port: lines of plane trees, perfectly still water, the tap of a halyard against a mast.
A canal opened in 1838 to work around a Loire too unruly for navigation, linking Digoin to Briare over 196 kilometres. Cours-les-Barres sits on a quiet stretch of it, between shaded towpaths and meadows grazed by Charolais cattle.
A walk to the wild Loire, then an excursion: Apremont-sur-Allier or Nevers. The village itself announces nothing and promises nothing — which is exactly what makes the stop restful, but know it before stepping off.
Yes, a short walk reaches the river itself, with its sandbanks, herons and free currents that no dam holds back. It is the last great wild river in Western Europe, and it shows.
A 343-metre structure carried on 18 stone arches, a few kilometres south of the mooring, which takes the canal over the Allier. Crossing it by boat gives the odd sensation of sailing above a river. A double lock follows.
A village listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France, its steep-roofed medieval houses gathered below a château overlooking the river. Its floral park unfolds waterfalls, ponds and romantic follies among wisteria and old roses.
The ducal palace, often called the first château of the Loire, the cathedral of Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte with its two opposing choirs, and the faience workshops that have made the town's name since the 16th century. The convent of Saint-Gildard holds the shrine of Bernadette Soubirous.
Yes, the waterside cycle route runs along the canal and the towpaths are flat and shaded. It is one of the best ways to fill a call here, especially if the boat lends bicycles.
Moderately. There is no attraction or museum in the village. On the other hand, working the locks, the Guétin canal bridge and the Loire sandbanks fascinate curious children. This is a nature call, not an entertainment one.
The euro; bring cash, as very small rural shops do not all take cards. French is spoken and English is rare in this corner of the Cher.
