Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne
Have a wonderful outdoor holiday in the «Land of 1000 lakes» with family, friends or partner !
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Un séjour au Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne le pays des 1000 étangs
Lakes as far as the eye can see peppered with a magnificent patchwork of moorland, woodland, meadows and heathland. Welcome to La Brenne, a wilderness of international importance and national icon of biodiversity ! It is the largest wetland region of mainland France with no less than 3,000 lakes and ponds, 267 species of birds including 150 nesting birds, 100,000 European pond terrapins, 1,600 plant species including wild orchids, and thousands of insects and animals…enough to make you dizzy !
It is not surprising that every year the Brenne Regional Natural Park attracts thousands of naturalists and visitors seeking a natural, unspoilt environment. The atmosphere is extremely restful, even though the lakes are teeming with wildlife! Let me give you a piece of advice…make La Brenne your personal nature sanctuary ! There are very few places in France where you can get away from it all to such an extent, relax and unwind surrounded by butterflies, dragonflies, birds and animals and vast stretches of tranquil water !!
Visit the Maison du Parc tourist information centre at Rosnay to organise your stay and taste delicious local specialities like ‘frites de carpe’(deep-fried carp nuggets) and Pouligny-Saint-Pierre (goat’s cheese) ! The Park has a fishing calendar for the lakes and organises more than 250 nature outings with experienced guides : bird, animal or insect watching, introductions to botany, fun activities for children and plenty more !
Explore the Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne on foot, by bike or on horseback
The best way to get close to nature and make the least noise is by bike (12 marked circuits) along the traffic-free ‘greenway’ « La Creuse à Vélo »; on foot (guidebook ‘20 plus belles balades de Brenne’); on horseback (numerous equestrian guides) and even accompanied by a pack donkey or in a little electric car. We must do all we can to preserve the natural equilibrium of this little corner of paradise, mustn’t we ? Another essential activity is nature watching. The Chérine Nature Reserve has superb observatories for seasoned nature-watchers. It also has a Maison de la Nature discovery centre where friendly guides advise the best places to go nature watching depending on the season.
What to see and do around the Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne
Choose the Château du Bouchet at Azay-le-Ferron to round off your stay ! This ideal family destination with a programme of events in the castle and gardens (classified ‘Jardins Remarkables’) is every bit as good as those of the monumental châteaux of nearby Touraine !
To see even more animals, head for the Zoo de la Haute-Touche with its 1,000 animals from all 5 continents, whose layout is far removed from zoos where visitors crowd together in front of cages. Here visitors walk, cycle, ride in horse-drawn carriages or electric carts along the broad driveways through the park where the animals live in semi-captivity ! You can also go to Château Naillac, a castle which is home to the Ecomusée de la Brenne, an informative little museum dedicated to this out-of-the-way region. It is in the town of Le Blanc, on the border between the ancient provinces of Berry and Poitou, and the upper part of its town overlooks the River Creuse.
There are two essential places for water sports and swimming : Etang de BelleBouche and the riverside Plage du Lurais beach with lifeguards and play park. The landscape of the Regional Natural Park de la Brenne is quite varied, flat to the north of the Creuse and hillier to the south, becoming quite steep along the banks of the Creuse and Anglin so it can offer a multitude of activities for families and seasoned sporting enthusiasts !
« Watching cranes during their stopover in Brenne is a magical experience » say Nathalie and Emmanuel, owners of Domaine du Coudreau gites and B&B at Vendoeuvres.
To get to the Parc from Châteauroux or Limoges take A20 autoroute. From Poitiers take A10. The Maison du Parc is open every day 09.00 – 19.00 in July, August and during long weekends. The rest of the time it is open every day 10.00 – 18.00."
