La Borne Village of potters
La Borne, a rural village where you can wander from pottery to pottery
"Ceramic enthusiasts simply have to visit La Borne, a country village famous for its traditional stoneware potteries." (La Valise à Fleurs blog). Stroll around the streets and leafy narrow lanes visiting the different workshops belonging to potters and other craftspeople. Comfortably tucked away between Sologne and Sancerrois, the little village of La Borne is an absolute must for anyone who loves, art, pottery, ceramics, nature or all four ! Surrounded by the forest and straddling the two wine-growing areas of Menetou-Salon and Sancerre, this village of 200 inhabitants makes us forget that we’re just a stone’s throw away from Bourges. Over the years, 70 potters of different nationalities have perpetuated the history of this potters’ village through the strength of their diverse artistic tendencies, making it into a place people love to visit to watch craftspeople directly at work in their workshops and studios.
Among the essential attractions of La Borne are the internationally-renowned exhibitions at the remarkable Centre Céramique Contemporaine (Centre of Contemporary Ceramics), a glass gallery of 665m², plus the Musée de la Poterie (Pottery Museum) housed in the old Chapelle St-Jean-Baptiste and the Musée Ivanoff ""the first ceramic expressionist "". There is also the Petit Musée Rigolo de Zébréric, which has nothing whatever to do with pottery and is a museum created by an artist who appropriates everyday objects for amusing purposes. Finally, make a little detour to Neuvy-deux-Clochers to have a look at the incredible and unexpected Cathédrale de Linard : a remarkable example of a unique artwork; a listed historic building, built using salvaged materials in harmony with the surrounding countryside. It is the highest cathedral in the world, because its roof is the sky…
Round and about La Borne
Not far from La Borne, don’t miss Henrichemont (the potters’ village belongs to this town), built by the Duke of Sully in an unusual design featuring a central square leading to four square-shaped districts laid out around small squares which lead back to the main square. Neuvy-deux-Clochers and its Tour de Vesvre, an impressive fortified manor house built in the 12th century and a listed historical building. The wine-growing châteaux of Menetou-Salon, in the village of the same name, and its Musée de l’Automobile (Motor Museum), and the Maupas Muesum at Morogues with its collection of almost 1,000 china plates. Other castles include La Chapelle d’Angillon with its Medieval Fetes in September and Boucard at Le Noyer surrounded by a moat; both are furnished and lived in by the owners. Relax and unwind in the Jardin de Marie garden at Neuilly-en-Sancerre. Visit the wine cellars of Menetou-Salon and Sancerre to taste the fine wines or visit the dairy outlet shop at Laiterie de Rians. For a little exercise, there are lots of woodland walks in the Forêt d’Allogny and along the GR41 hiking path or smaller local footpaths.
""What I love about La Borne, is wandering through the leafy narrow streets bedecked with flowers in search of a half-hidden workshop, then ending the afternoon in the garden of L’Epicerie restaurant, an essential part of the village"". Gîtes de France Cher
From Bourges, D940 then D11 to Henrichemont and D22 to Sancerre. From Sancerre, D955 then D22."
