Discover Sainte-Maure-De-Touraine

Sainte-Maure-De-Touraine can be explored through several themes: historic buildings and walks through the town, cycling routes, the landscape along the Manse, and the production of AOP goat’s cheese. The options have different focuses: one walking tour takes you through the historic centre, while the nature trail turns the spotlight on the landscape and nature. When choosing your activities, you can weigh up history, cycling and cheese-related themes.

History in the town centre

The Chapelle des Vierges is dedicated to Sainte-Maure and Sainte Britte. It was built in the 19th century on the remains of a 14th-century chapel and completed on 24 April 1892. It provides a way to distinguish the older chapel from the later building by period. The church of Sainte-Maure Sainte-Britte, meanwhile, replaced an earlier church in the 12th century; until the 20th century, it was dedicated to Saint Blaise.

The building history of the Halles and Maison d’Estouteville also spans different centuries. The Halles in the centre of the square were rebuilt in the 15th century and restored by Anne de Rohan in 1672. Maison d’Estouteville also dates from the 15th century and has been protected as a historic monument since 1947. If you would rather explore the commune’s history on foot, the «Circuit découverte du centre-ville historique» takes you through the historic town centre on foot or by bicycle and offers an insight into the history of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. Check local access information for this walking tour before your trip.

Nature trail and routes

The 4.5-kilometre «Sentier d’interprétation des Coteaux» is a family-friendly nature trail with twelve stops and is also accessible with a pushchair. Its themes range from cave dwellings and bread ovens to daffodils, and the valley’s flora and fauna. This gives the trail a different focus from the historic walking tour: here, the stops on the landscape and nature take centre stage rather than the town’s history.

For a longer cycle, «Les Troglos de Courtineau», circular route no. 37, is an option: the 32-kilometre route starts in Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, follows the Manse valley and heads towards Saint-Epain and Crissay-sur-Manse. Separately, the Scandibérique, also known as EuroVelo 3, runs between Tours and Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. These are two different routes; the 32-kilometre distance refers to circular route no. 37.

Another theme is explored by the «Mémoires de la Route Nationale 10» walking tour. Twelve panels tell the story of National Route 10; the tour is available in English and Spanish. When choosing a walking tour, you can therefore distinguish between local history and a route with a clearly defined focus on the road.

Cheese and encounters

The interactive «Scénographie des Passerelles» explores how Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine AOP goat’s cheese is made and can be explored at your own pace. It also explains the straw in the cheese and its engraving. The name of the appellation and the cheese producer’s identification number are engraved on the straw. The exhibition and product details thus shed light on two aspects of the same subject: the cheesemaking process and the cheese’s labelling.

At the EARL La Haute Piltière goat farm, you can take a guided tour, meet the goats and learn more about cheesemaking. Arrange your visit in advance. The «Enquête Game» offers another way to discover the town and its history: this treasure hunt takes you around Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine with escape-game-style puzzles and requires a reservation.

The Manse and the pilgrimage route

Parc de loisirs Robert Guignard is reached via the banks of the Manse and is a biodiversity area. At Place du Ha-ha, you can look out over a former road to Spain, which is still used by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Alongside historic buildings and walking tours, nature and pilgrimage traditions therefore offer further themes to choose from for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Artannes-sur-Indre, Saint-Quentin-Sur-Indrois, Benais, La Châtre, Esvres, Villandry, Château-La-Vallière, Avrillé-les-Ponceaux.

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