Discover Chédigny: Garden Village, Church and Wetland

Chédigny combines an award-winning garden village with historic buildings and a wetland. This gives you different reasons to visit: explore gardens and plants, admire the Church of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens, or take the wetland trail. The garden village has been awarded the “Jardin remarquable” label and is open year-round with free admission.

A garden village with a variety of planting themes

Nearly 1,000 rose bushes and several thousand perennials shape the garden village. The rectory garden brings together different planting themes: a medicinal herb garden, a cut-flower bed and a vegetable garden. There are also fruit trees and a newly planted vineyard with Chenin grapes. The garden therefore offers everything from medicinal and edible plants to flowers, fruit and viticulture. Each area has its own focus, so you do not have to limit yourself to just one type of plant.

The village centre is designated as a shared space. Pedestrians have priority, and vehicles are subject to a maximum speed limit of 20 km/h. This traffic arrangement is part of getting around the centre and is separate from visiting the individual garden areas. If you choose Chédigny as your destination, you will find both a clearly defined garden theme and specific information about the village centre.

Church and historic objects

The Church of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens brings together two periods of construction: its choir dates from the 12th century, and its nave from the 16th century. These different dates give the church a clearly discernible chronology. The church also contains a medieval baptismal font and a polychrome statue of Saint Michael from the 15th century. The statue comes from the Chartreuse du Liget. A vine-shaped staff belonging to the Brotherhood of Saint Vincent, dating from the 19th century, completes the collection of objects mentioned here.

The church offers not only different stages of its architectural history, but also objects with their own origins and dates. The medieval baptismal font, the statue of Saint Michael and the vine-shaped staff each point to a different period. If you would rather focus on heritage than gardens during your visit, you can combine these details with a look at the choir and nave.

Wetland and cycling route

The wetland trail offers a different perspective. It passes through a five-hectare wetland designated as an Espace Naturel Sensible. Information panels cover the local fauna and flora. Unlike the rectory garden, the focus here is on the wetland and information about its plant and animal life. The two experiences therefore differ not only in subject, but also in how you explore plants: as part of a garden or in the context of a wetland.

For a cycling trip, the easy “La rose dans la vallée” route is another option. It is 10 kilometres long and connects Chédigny and Azay-sur-Indre through the Indre and Indrois valleys. Its easy rating and stated distance provide two useful points of reference when comparing the cycling route with the wetland trail. Guided flower walks have a different schedule: amateur botanists lead them from April to September. Check the specific dates and reservation options before travelling.

Exhibitions and festival

Art and events add to the range of things to see and do. Bertrand Cardon’s studio and gallery in Chédigny present two exhibitions a year; check specific dates before your visit. The Festival de Bouche et de Blues combines tastings of farm-style meals with blues concerts. Alongside the garden, church and nature, the village thus offers both exhibitions and an event centred on food and music.

When planning your visit, you can choose what to focus on according to your interests: the rectory garden and guided flower walks highlight plants, the church its architectural history and historic objects, and the wetland trail its fauna and flora. The cycling route adds an easy 10-kilometre ride to the options. If you are planning a visit for a specific date, be sure to check the dates of the flower walks and exhibitions in advance.

Discover more destinations: Monts, Saint-Martin-Le-Beau, Artannes-sur-Indre, La Membrolle-Sur-Choisille, Langeais, Tauxigny, Braye-Sous-Faye, Avrillé-les-Ponceaux

For the broader travel guide: Indre-Et-Loire.