THE LOIRE - France 2014 - page 590

Helpful Hints
Market Days: A bustling market takes place all day Thursday on Place Jeanne d'Arc
(west end of town). There's a sweet little market on Sunday, around Place du Général
de Gaulle.
Groceries: Carrefour City is across from the Hôtel de Ville, on Place du Général de
Gaulle (Mon-Sat 7:00-20:00, Sun 9:00-13:00).
Laundry: Salon Lavoir is near the bridge at 7 Quai Charles VII (daily 7:00-21:00).
Bike and Canoe Rental: Canoe-Kayak & Vélo rents bikes and canoes on the river, next
to the campground (bikes-€15/day; canoes-€10/2 hours or €19/half-day, shuttle in-
cluded; €15-23 to combine bike and canoe in a half/full day; mobile [phone],
www.loisirs-nature.fr ) . For more on biking and canoeing, see here .
Taxi: Call0683518788foranEnglish-speaking taxidriver;tel.[phone]forother
taxi service.
Car Rental: It's best to rent a car at the St-Pierre-des-Corps train station.
Best Views: You'll find terrific rooftop views from the fortress and along Rue du Coteau
St. Martin (between St. Mexme Church and the fortress—see map), and rewarding
river views to Chinon by crossing the bridge in the center of town and turning right
(small riverfront café May-Sept).
Self-Guided Walk
Welcome to Chinon
(See “Chinon” map, here . )
Chinon offers a peaceful world of quiet cobbled lanes, historic buildings, and few tourists.
By following this walk (or the TI's self-guided tour brochure) and reading plaques at key
buildings, you'll gain a good understanding of this city's historic importance.
• Begin this short walk from the highest point of the bridge that crosses the Vienne River,
and enjoy the great view.
Chinon Riverbank: Chinon is sandwiched between the Vienne River (which flows
into the Loire River only a few miles from here) and an abrupt cliff. People have lived
along the banks of this river since prehistoric times. The Gallo-Romans built the first de-
fenses in Chinon 1,600 years ago, and there's been a castle up on that hill for over a thou-
sand years—which pretty much predates every other castle you'll visit in the Loire area.
The skinny, curved clock tower served as the entrance to the middle section of the fortress
duringthe Middle Ages.Starting in1044,that fortress-castle became animportant outpost