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La Chatre, France

Self Catering La Chatre Holiday Cottages and Gites, France

La Châtre is a commune in the Indre department in the Centre region of central France. It is located in the south-west of the department in an area historically known as Lower Berry. It’s also found in the natural region of the Boischaut-Sud. A stay in a La Chatre holiday cottage is an opportunity to visit the Indre Valley which dominates this area. When you stay in a La Chatre holiday gite you’ll notice that the river Indre also runs through the town.

The opportunity to  rent a holiday cottage in La Chatre is a must for fans of George Sands. The house of this famous female French writer (1804-1876), is located in the village of Nohant, just five kilometres away. It was purchased by the French state in 1952, and has been preserved as it was when Sand wrote many of her books there. Sands hosted many of the most important artists and writers of her time, including Frederic Chopin, Balzac, Turgenev, and Delacroix. The writer and her family are buried in a small cemetery between the garden and the village church. The gardens are classified by the French Ministry of Culture as among the Notable Gardens of France. The house is open to the public, and is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux.

Many of her most famous novels, including Consuelo, La Mare au Diable, and Le Meunier d'Angibault, were written in the house, and most of her novels are set in the Berry countryside and villages around Nohant.

La Chatre has a museum dedicated to George Sands, and when you stay in self-catering holiday accommodation in La Chatre, know that this town is frequently a stage in the famous Le Tour de France cycle race.

In the spring months temperatures generally hover around 20 degrees, with occasional rain. Long dry spells are frequent in the summer with temperatures from 22 – 28 degrees. In the autumn light frosts are common with highs of 17 degrees and in the winter it can be chilly with 8 degrees the average. 

To get to your La Chatre holiday home: The closest airport to La Chatre is Tours Airport also within reach are Limoges Airport, Poitiers Airport, or Angouleme Airport. Tours Loire Valley and Poitiers Airports welcomes Ryanair flights from London Stansted Airport and Dublin. To reach La Chatre from France’s northern ferry ports takes 5-6 hours driving; this estimate is mainly driving on France’s auto-routes. Chateauroux is the nearest train station to La Chatre with direct service to Paris Austerlitz available regularly and which take just under two hours.