Genillé – Dolmen, Heritage and Hiking Trails

Genillé brings together early evidence of local history, distinctive buildings, and routes through the countryside. This gives you a choice of different highlights when planning your trip: historic sites, a hike, or a bike ride. A recurring October event may also play a part in deciding when to travel.

Heritage and Local History

The Dolmen d’Hys is the oldest surviving evidence of the past in the municipality of Genillé. It dates from the Neolithic period, between 2500 and 1500 BC. The historic discovery trail through Genillé offers another way to explore rural history. Its 22 information panels are written in French and English and explain the development of the area’s rural history.

The Church of Sainte-Eulalie dates from the 11th to the 16th century. Its distinctive features include stained-glass windows from the Lobin workshops, a polychrome painted wooden ceiling in the nave, and a white marble holy water font dating from 1494. The church’s various architectural features and furnishings reflect different centuries, making it a varied subject for a culturally focused stay.

The châteaux and other historic buildings also illustrate different chapters of local history. The manor house of the Château de Genillé dates from the 15th century and was altered in the 16th and 19th centuries. The Pavillon de l’octroi is a 16th-century building. The Château de la Bourdillière housed a women’s abbey in the 17th century. These details distinguish the original construction date, later alterations, and historic use rather than grouping everything into a single period.

Countryside and Trails

The municipality is home to three ZNIEFF sites and one Natura 2000 site. Near the Indrois, the rocky plateau of Genillé is shaped by ravines where caves and troglodytic dwellings were created. The landscape is therefore defined both by the plateau’s geological formations and by the use of its ravines.

The Touraine-à-vélo circular route no. 63 leads from Genillé to the Château de Montpoupon. The route is 29 kilometres long. If you would rather plan a hike, you can compare routes with different distances and destinations: “Sur les pas d’Adam Fumée” covers 12 kilometres, from the village centre to the Forêt domaniale de Loches.

The 16.2-kilometre, blue-marked route “De l’Indrois au château de Pont” starts at Place Fernand Raoul-Duval, formerly Place du Champ de Foire. Cars can be left in the car park there; check the parking conditions before you arrive. The route passes through woods and undergrowth, by numerous private châteaux and cave sites. Compared with the 12-kilometre hike, it is longer and follows a different described landscape. The distance and destination of each route can help you choose the right hike for your plans without confusing the two routes.

An October Event

The Foire aux marrons takes place every year on the third Sunday in October. If you would like to visit Genillé for the event, you can take the fixed date into account when planning and check the specific event details before your trip. Alongside the historic attractions and different routes described here, the calendar provides another point of reference for choosing when to travel.

Discover more destinations: Marray, Saint-Ouen-Les-Vignes, Château-Renault, Paulmy, Semblançay, Chisseaux, Vouvray, Trogues

See the regional travel overview: Indre-Et-Loire.