Beauchêne: Hiking, Cycling and History

Beauchêne offers specific starting points for planning a trip on foot, by bike and with an interest in history. The easy Circuit de la Gargeresse circular walk and the De bois en bois C16 cycling route differ in length, activity and the landscapes described. When looking for a hotel in Beauchêne, your planned activity for the day can be a useful first consideration: a hike with an approximate duration, a 21-kilometre cycling route or cultural and historical points of interest in the area. This makes it possible to plan your stay around the things that interest you most locally.

Hiking the Circuit de la Gargeresse

The Circuit de la Gargeresse is an easy 12-kilometre hike lasting about three hours and 45 minutes. The circular route passes through the hamlets of La Motte, Pilpé, Le Goutier and Le Gros-Dos in Beauchêne. It starts at the car park opposite the church. The route is marked with the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre’s official PR signs: yellow bars. In addition to its length and approximate duration, this gives you a specific starting point and route-marking system.

The circular route passes through Beauchêne’s wooded Perche landscape, with hedgerows and pollarded trees. These landscape features add a second aspect to the tour alongside the named hamlets: in addition to the route through the local communities, the surroundings are shaped by woodland, hedges and pollarded trees. The yellow bars indicate the specific type of trail marking, while the car park opposite the church identifies the starting point. The route markings and starting point are therefore two distinct points of reference for the hike.

Cycling the De bois en bois C16 route

The De bois en bois C16 cycling route is 21 kilometres long and starts in Beauchêne. Its stated starting point is 5 Route de Danzé, 41170 Beauchêne. The route passes through Perche forests, sunken lanes and open fields. Compared with the 12-kilometre Circuit de la Gargeresse, it is nine kilometres longer. The landscapes described also differ: the circular walk focuses on the wooded Perche landscape, hedgerows and pollarded trees, while the cycling route takes in forests, sunken lanes and open fields.

When choosing between the routes, you can first compare the mode of transport and the distance. An approximate duration of three hours and 45 minutes is also given for the circular walk. The cycling route offers a different view of the surrounding area through its landscape description. The two routes therefore provide different points of reference for planning your day, and their kilometre figures refer to different activities.

Saint-Jacques Church and historical points of interest

The “Sommet du Loir-et-Cher” section of the cycling route in Beauchêne includes Saint-Jacques Church and a washhouse. The church is a neoclassical building, rebuilt in 1843 in the hamlet of Nid de Loup. It houses several statues from the 16th and 17th centuries, transferred from the former church, as well as an 18th-century bell. The 19th-century building and older furnishings thus stand together in one structure.

Another historical point of interest is in La Motte, where remains of ditches mark the former site of Beauchêne’s church and presbytery. The area’s history is therefore evident both in Saint-Jacques Church and in traces of a former church and presbytery site. These two points of interest complement outdoor activities with a historical dimension that can be understood through specific buildings, objects and structural remains.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Droué, Valaire, Candé-Sur-Beuvron, Montoire-Sur-Le-Loir, Lunay, Soings-En-Sologne, Saint-Denis-Sur-Loire, Vendôme

To the main travel overview: Loir-Et-Cher.