Montrichard Val de Cher Old Town

Begin your morning strolling through Montrichard's medieval quarter, where cobbled lanes wind past half-timbered houses and the Église Sainte-Croix, site of a royal wedding that changed French history. Continue to the Monmousseau Wine Cellars, carved into the same tuffeau limestone that built the Loire châteaux, where a 600-metre immersive light gallery leads through underground galleries before a tasting of local sparkling wines. End your afternoon at the hilltop fortress, built by Foulques Nerra around 1010, where an augmented reality experience brings the medieval stronghold back to life and panoramic views stretch across the Cher Valley. The fortress is open seasonally from April to September and closed on Tuesdays; the wine cellars close for a midday break between 12:30 and 13:30.