Things to see and do Bourges

Entering the Marais is open space and space. You are here in private gardens, stroked by channels, classified as UNESCO's Natural Heritage. We live here at another pace. But to avoid losing, especially at night, better take a plan at the Office de toursime or opt for a guided visit to observe the fauna and flora and understand the history of this place that nourished Bourges and failed the army of Caesar. Do not think of taking a boat to walk on the water because here they are rare and belong to the gardeners who use them to join their parcel.

Tariff: free.

Duration: 2 h.

Difficulty: .

Bourbonnoux Street is urbanised in the th century outside the Gallo-Roman rampart and follows the route. Until the beginning of the th century, it was a very important artery of the city, and many artisans and traders lived there. The wooden houses on this street, most reconstructed after the fire of the Madeleine in 1487, were on street and often two floors - modified later. They are constructed in corbel on enlarged pole, limiting the projection of the floor on the ground floor. The half-timbered houses of Bourges houses are in diamond or cross-André. As is still the case, the ground floor is usually occupied by a shop - finally - followed by a service room - the kitchen - at the back. The rooms are on the floor, and they can be accessed by a screw staircase in the side corridor leading to the courtyard and the workshop. The Gothic style focuses on poles and beams. The houses are separated by stone fire streets.

Located just a stone's throw from the cathedral, the tourist office offers a personalized and warm welcome. The team provides information on the city's points of interest, guided tours, accommodations, events and festivals… As a good mediator, the office provides an ipad to navigate the various tourist areas of the city and also the department. Discover the interactive map of the city's main attractions. The tourist office works in collaboration with the City's Heritage Department and offers guided tours. Take a break to discover the permanent exhibition called «Bourges, the memory of a city»! In Bourges, everything is done to make visitors (and inhabitants) discover the local history of yesterday and today through numerous events, including the Enlightenment Nights.

Restored and built in a museum, the Hotel des Echevins houses the works of Maurice Estève (1904-2001). This painter from Culan donated to the city of Bourges a remarkable set of pieces representative of the evolution of his work. The artist's research and questioning, as well as his confrontation and participation in the artistic movements of the twentieth century, can be traced in chronological order. Little by little, abstraction replaces the figurative, its vision of the world thickens, light and balance impregnate its compositions. Estève began painting at the earliest age and only stopped in 1998. An amateur of great masters like Fouqet, Cézanne, Poussin or Uccello, he drew inspiration from his inspiration to feed his work throughout his life. The beautiful course of the museum is enhanced by the exceptional surroundings of the three floors of the Hotel des Echevins.

This large paved artery is the Bourges shopping temple since the Belle Epoque. In the th century, urban planning works on the Middle Street and its surroundings to make it a long axis leading to Séraucourt Square. The tram is then the preferred means of transport. Looking back, you can admire art nouveau buildings built after the fire that devastated Average street in 1928. The facades and roofs of the New Galleries, where Fnac and H & M are located, and the Aubrun store are part of it, as is the old Ladies de France store (Planchat Square). All three are listed in the Additional Inventory of Historical Monuments.

The Hotel des Échevins was built in 1489, on a space "released" by the great fire of 1487. He draws on the Gallo-Roman wall of Bourges. It is an essential monument to the city. At night during Night Nights it offers a magical setting to the projections on its stone walls. A rectangular rectangular body includes on the ground floor the large hall equipped with a monumental fireplace and the board of the jury vaulted stone and the fire test. The Hotel des Échevins was the headquarters of the municipality for three centuries. Its interior is just as interesting as its walls. Many sculpted decorations celebrate Berry's sheep, whose wool was so important to the city's wealth and influence. This Gothic style building was influenced by the decoration of the Jacques Coeur Palace: arches in accolade, pinacles, frayed cabbage. The false windows of sculpted characters adorning the octagonal tower will be delighted: These are sergeants of town that go to the pass. Admiring them will entertain children. In 1624, a new gallery body inspired by the Renaissance architecture treaties was added to the existing building. The Hotel des Échevins has been completely restored. It was built in a museum and now offers visitors to discover the works of the painter Maurice Estève, from Culan.

The water tower was built in 1865 to collect the waters of the Auron, supervised by engineer Bourdaloue. A competition was organized to select the architect of the imposing fountain located in: it is Albert Tissandier's project - bricks and stones, and paying tribute to the classical architecture of the early eighteenth century - which was chosen. As for the sculpted decoration, it is the work of the Berrichon archeologist and sculptor Jules Dumoutet. Unaffected since 1940, inscribed in the additional inventory of Historic Monuments in 1975, the eau d 'eau was completely redesigned by the City of Bourges in 1999, which made it a place dedicated to the diffusion of plastic arts. The ground floor of 220 m ², with its two concentric spreads separated by 16 columns and surrounded by 14 alveoli, allows a unique presentation of the works, whether painted, carved, engraved, drawn, projected or hammered. A place of discovery, exchanges and meetings, the water tower hosts carefully selected exhibitions. A successful conversion.

The organ of the cathedral has changed many times over the centuries: Reference was made to the first organ in the early 1986 th century and the most recent was inaugurated in by Bishop Plateau. Burned in 1599, it was rebuilt and saved narrowly during the Revolution. With its 50 games, 4 keyboards and its German pedals, it allows you to play the organistique repertoire in full since the th century. The buffet retains the original elements of this time. The th century gives her a beam with the musicians and the th century his gallery. Completely restored, the organ always sounds under the vaults of the cathedral. Many concerts and activities take place during the year. The Festival of the Very Rich Hours of the Berry Organ showcases this great organ by inviting prestigious concertistes to play solo, chamber music, or with an orchestra.

It is a massive church of the xiiith century, located in the heart of the Auron district, the only parish church of Bourges to have been built in Gothic style like the cathedral Saint-Étienne, which it is contemporary. And like St. Stephen's Cathedral, she doesn't have transept, but an ambulatory with radiant chapels. Dedicated in 1230 by the Archbishop of Bourges, his construction would follow a miracle. Saint Antoine de Padua was passing in Bourges (around 1225), and the mule of a Jew, named Guillard, turned away from his oats to kneel in front of the holy man. The owner of the mule then converted to the field and devoted all his money to the construction of the church.

To discover, a few stained glass windows, xve and xvith century frescoes, still partially visible. Jacques Cujas, professor of law at the University of Bourges, was buried in 1590 in one of the north chapels of the church, a monument that deserves to be visited, especially in addition to a visit to the cathedral.

Built just after the great fire of 1487, the Lallemant Hotel occupies several plots of land and spans the Gallo-Roman bastion that plunges the high city. It is the first Bourges building where the Renaissance style appears, still mixed with Gothic elements, hence its great architectural interest. This particular house was built for the family of Lallemant, rich ennobled traders, who have exercised important municipal loads, and have also been interested in alchemy in a less formal way: not to miss the hotel's oratory, whose ceiling to the 30 crafted casing may well represent the quest for philosopher's stone. The Hotel Lallemant, now owned by the city of Bourges, has been set up in the museum of Decorative Arts. The visit is free, an explanatory workbook is provided at the reception.

This is a long pedestrian street. There are many wooden houses but many are still to be renovated. The shops that border it are often independent and give it an unsubtyped character: shoe dealer, butcher, florist, house of tea and coffee, toy shop… Unfortunately, many of these family shops are closing their doors to allow them to place their place in caractère (banks, malls, real estate agencies…). The upper part, formerly named rue du Argent-d'Argent, has long lost its hostels, you-farriers, bourreliers, charron and horse dealers. Traffic was rare and slow. The calm and calm of the former Grand Rue d'Auron makes it pleasant to travel without a specific purpose.

The archbishops of Bourges are located on the south side of the cathedral from the th century. In the th century Bishop Phélypeaux de La Vrillière decided to make it a great palace. From the ambitious project led by the architect Pierre Bullet, only the south wing and the garden are made. To see this imposing building, the pavilion of La Vrillière, one can only imagine the prosperity of the archdiocese at that time. Inside, the rotating staircase hanging on the arch is adorned with statues and bas-reliefs representing the four evangelists. Following the separation of the Church and the State, this palace was ceded free of charge to the city of Bourges in 1909, which installed its municipal services and the library the following year. Since the construction of the new town hall (adjacent) in 1992, the old archiepiscopal palace still houses some municipal services, the Municipal Council Hall, the hall of honour, the weddings hall and the Best Workers'Museum in France.