Tournon-Saint-Pierre: Voie Verte, Church and Fishing

The Voie Verte, the Église Saint-Pierre and the Étang de la Balastière give Tournon-Saint-Pierre three distinct travel highlights: a cycling and walking route, architectural history and fishing. When choosing a destination, you can consider whether you would rather focus your stay on a longer route, historic architectural features or a fishing pond.

Voie Verte: Route and Use

The Voie Verte is 42 kilometres long and runs through the green Claise Valley to Tournon-Saint-Pierre. It follows a former railway line that has been converted and is reserved exclusively for cyclists and walkers. The entire route is also open to the public. Its length, course and permitted uses provide a practical framework for planning. As access rules may change, check the latest information before using the route.

The route passes through eight municipalities: Descartes, Abilly, Le Grand-Pressigny, Chaumussay, Boussay, Preuilly-sur-Claise, Bossay-sur-Claise and Tournon-Saint-Pierre. This list shows the route’s scope beyond any one town; Tournon-Saint-Pierre is named as the endpoint of the route that crosses several municipalities. The 42 kilometres refer to the entire Voie Verte, not just a section in the town.

Église Saint-Pierre: Building History Across Three Centuries

The Église Saint-Pierre brings together dates from different periods. The Benedictines of Preuilly built the church in the 11th century; its façade dates from the 13th century and its choir from the 14th century. These dates place different parts and historical layers in context; they do not give a single construction date for the entire church. Distinguishing between the original construction and the later-dated parts is therefore useful for understanding the town’s history: it helps place the sequence from the 11th to the 14th century without attributing all the parts to the same building period.

Étang de la Balastière: Fishing Subject to a Permit Requirement

The Étang de la Balastière is an enclosed body of water covering 3 ha in Tournon-Saint-Pierre. For fishing, the Étang de la Balastière is open year-round only to holders of a departmental fishing permit. The year-round opening therefore applies to anglers with this permit.

Recommended fishing techniques at the Étang de la Balastière include float fishing, carp fishing, predator fishing and fly fishing. This selection offers more specific guidance for your fishing visit than the general description of it as a fishing spot. Techniques and rules may change, so check the latest fishing regulations before your visit.

Different Ways to Spend Your Stay

The Voie Verte and the pond represent different ways to spend time in Tournon-Saint-Pierre: a route spanning several municipalities for cyclists and walkers, or a defined body of water for fishing. For the latter, a departmental fishing permit is one of the stated requirements. The church adds a historical focus to these options: its construction, along with the dates of its façade and choir, spans the 11th to the 14th century. You can thus choose among the three themes according to whether you want to focus on activity, fishing or architectural history.

Discover more destinations: Faye-La-Vineuse, Le Grand-Pressigny, Tavant, Chambray-Lès-Tours, Lerne, Saint-Épain, Langeais, Villandry.

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