Vierzon on the Canal du Berry
Vierzon a town where 5 rivers meet
"You wanted to see Vierzon, and we saw Vierzon…" sang Jacques Brel in ‘Vesoul’. The people of Vierzon and many others besides, all know the words of this song which made the town famous ! Situated at the gateway to Sologne, Vierzon benefits from a quality environment where water is omnipresent as 5 rivers meet there, including the Yèvre and the Cher. The Canal du Berry crosses the town and a magnificent forest of 7,500 hectares surrounds it, south of the Sologne Forest. It has a water sports centre, an international golf course, several riding centres and lots of sign-posted footpaths. It has a rich historical, natural and industrial heritage and a solid reputation for its expertise and creativity. As well as its famous china factories like Pillivuyt at Mehun-sur-Yèvre and Deshoulières at Foëcy, Vierzon is also well-known for Sologne produce from hunting and fishing which go so well with the AOC Pays de Vierzon wines (Quincy and Reuilly) and Berry goat’s cheese.
Among the essential attractions to see in Vierzon is the Lucien Beaufrère Art-Deco square, a park also known as the ""Jardins de l’Abbaye"", in a lovely setting between the Yèvre and the Canal de Berry. This park, whose design features simple, geometric, colourful shapes, is a listed monument and also an example of ""outstanding contemporary architecture"". At the heart of an amazing industrial site, the former factory of the Société Française Vierzon and its magnificent esplanade are home to a museum tracing the industrial past of the town during the 19th and 20th centuries plus the history of railways through a unique collection amassed by Raymond Laumônier, a former station master at Vierzon. Vierzon also has a medieval district with a belltower, the church of Notre-Dame with its superb bell-tower porch housing 5 bells and the organ and the Museum des Fours Banaux which has two 15th century communal ovens, the only ones of their kind in the Centre-Val de Loire region.
Make the most of the Canal de Berry by cycling beside it or cruising along it in a little motorboat you can hire (no licence needed).
Vierzon an amazing cultural heritage !
Vierzon has no shortage of cultural attractions, with its famous Mac-Nab theatre which presents an eclectic programme of classical music, variety performers, drama, contemporary dance and comedy. The Estivales du Canal summer musical festival is also an event not to be missed.
The area around Vierzon has many surprising religious buildings : the collegiate church of Saint-Outrille with its twisted steeple, the Romanesque church of Brinay and its amazing frescoes on the lower surface of the entrance arch and all 4 sides of the choir, the Abbaye de Massay, a Benedictine abbey, originally founded in 738, whose bell-tower porch, chapel and chapterhouse (12th – 15th century) can still be seen today. Don’t miss the Musée de l’Ocre at Saint-Georges-sur-la Prée which traces the use of ochre (a natural pigment used for frescoes and decoration) over 800 years and has an artist’s materials shop or the Musée de la Photo at Graçay with its exhibition of photographic equipment and a dark room. Also in Graçay, stop at the Centre des Grands Moulins which presents a comprehensive guide to renewable energy.
Gîtes de France Cher "What I like doing in Vierzon is to walk along the Canal de Berry then stop for a picnic on Ile Marie, one of the islands dotted along the River Cher. This one is at the heart of the town and has a wide diversity of plant and animal life".
Vierzon is easy to get to, just 1½ hours from Paris by train and under 2 hours by car along the autoroute. It is at the crossroads of several roads - autoroutes A71, A85 and A20 – and is also on the main Paris-Toulouse and Lyon-Nantes railway lines.
