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CHER: 290 Communes, 35 Cantons
Capital: Bourges
CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS
Town map of Cher
Links:
Cher Tourism Board in French and English
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Le Cher is part of the
former province of Le Berry (Indre and Cher) and is in the Centre region
of France. The capital city of Cher is
Bourges - in Celtic times Bourges
was known as Avaricum which was the capital of the Bituriges Celts.
Bourge was annexed into France in the year 1100.
The Cher is a department
steeped in history, culture and tradition all set in a beautiful and
varied landscape and has been inspiration to artists and writes for
several centuries. Alain Fourneir (1886-1914) wrote Le Grand Meaulnes
at Epineuil-le-Fleuriel (East of Châteaumeillant), and the prize-winning
book Marie-Claire was written by Marguerite Audoux (1863-1937)
who is remembered at Aubigny-sur-Nère. The sculptor Jean Baffier
(1815-1920) and the painter Maurice Estève (born in Culan 1904) are both
prolific artists of the region.
Another famous person of the
Cher is Jacques Coeur (1400-1456) who, from the age of 32, sailed many
times to the Orient, making his fortune in setting up a trading Network
all along the Mediterranean which enabled him to finance the last
campaigns of the Hundred Years War. Sadly for him this made him some
serious enemies - the Royal Court - that eventually led to his demise in
exile. You can today follow a tourist trail that is named after him.
Bourges Museum Website (in English)
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Region: Centre Capital: Bourges |
The Cher department is a vast plateau in the
geographical centre of France and is positioned half-way between Paris
and the Massif Central. Sancerre, in the north of the department, rises
on a rocky limestone outcrop to form a dramatic and really picturesque
townscape on the otherwise quite flat landscape. The area surrounding
the town is covered by the vineyards that make this town a well known
name throughout the world. It is not the only wine region, however, in
the Cher department. As well as the Sancerre wines, there are also the
appellations (AOC) of Reuilly, Qunicy and Menetou-Salon all north of
Bourges - and the less known wines of Chateaumeillant (VDQS) in the
south, producing mainly rosés, but also some refreshing whites and reds.
There are some local specialties, food-wise,
including Sancerre goats cheese - crotin de Chavignol is an AOC cheese.
Green lentils are grown locally and are a frequent ingredient in local
dishes. There is also poirat, which is a pear dessert. And for the
really sweet-toothed, Bourges is home to Forestines - the first
and original filled sweets invented by Georges Forest in 1879. |
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BOURGES
Market Day: Halle Saturday
Market Day: Covered Market - St Bonnet Sunday
CHATEAUMEILLANT
Market Day: Friday
CULAN
Market Day: Tuesday & Saturday
LE CHATELET
Market Day: Thursday
LIGNIERES
Market Day: Monday
SANCERRE
Market Day: Tuesday & Saturday
VESDUN
Market Day: Wednesday
VIERZON
Market Day: Centre Saturday
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MUSIC FESTIVAL
Le Printempts de Bourges - Date to be
advised - International Festival of Contemporary Music - folk,
rock, pop, rap, techno.
FARMERS MARKETS
2006 information coming soon
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