Saint-Julien-De-Chédon: Church, Nature and Wine

Saint-Julien-De-Chédon offers several different reasons to visit: a church with a medieval history and a later carved stone slab, a wetland at Étang des Chariots, and wine and leisure activities. You can therefore explore the town from a cultural and historical, landscape-focused or active perspective.

Church and local history

The knight Joubert Louis, Lord of Saint-Julien-De-Chédon, funded the construction of the church between 1147 and 1154. The church also contains a 17th-century stone slab. It depicts Saint James as a pilgrim and Saint Peter. These two details offer different points of reference in time: one is the funding of the church’s construction in the 12th century, the other is the much later carved stone slab. Those interested in the town’s heritage can thus find both a connection to its architectural history and a specific image.

Wetland and designed landscape

Étang des Chariots covers about 9 hectares and lies within a roughly 20-hectare natural area managed by the municipality. The two figures refer to different scales: the pond and the larger natural area. The pond’s water level depends on the level of the Cher; as a result, it is a wetland of interest for the fauna and flora of the Cher valley.

Another feature of the landscape is the Arboretum de Saint-Julien, a landscaped area on Route de Villiers. It is connected to the Villiers washhouse. At Étang, the focus is on water levels and wetlands; at the arboretum, it is on the landscaped grounds and their connection to the washhouse. Together, the two places illustrate different aspects of the landscape and local heritage.

Vineyard, tour and tasting

On the hills above Saint-Julien-De-Chédon, Domaine Mérieau farms 36 hectares of AOC Touraine vineyards; this figure may change. The winery offers a self-guided educational tour covering its historic treasures and the work carried out in the vineyard. The Laboratoire des Précieuses program also includes a tasting of selected Domaine Mérieau wines, including wines from 17 of the estate’s cuvées.

The tour and tasting have different focuses: the tour covers the winery’s history and the work in the vineyard, while the tasting features a selection of its cuvées. Visiting and reservation arrangements may change; check the current terms in advance.

Cycling and hot-air balloon rides

Cycle route No. 18 is rated easy to moderate. Minor roads make up 80 percent of the route; the remainder follows towpaths or gravel tracks. This lets you take both difficulty level and surface into account when planning your ride.

France Montgolfières is based in the hamlet of La Billette in Saint-Julien-De-Chédon. The operator offers a hot-air balloon ride over Chenonceau lasting three hours in total, including one hour in the air. No special physical requirements are needed for the ride. The cycle route is described in terms of its rating and surface, while the balloon ride is described in terms of its total duration and flight time. Details about the location, availability and activity conditions may change; check them before booking.

Discover more destinations: Vallières-Les-Grandes, Cormeray, Villeny, Saint-Amand-Longpré, Couffy, Josnes, Châteauvieux, Villeherviers

For the broader travel overview: Loir-Et-Cher.