Travel Guide Sancerre

Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Loire, this adorable little town is the capital of a land of vines and a famous goat cheese, the famous crottin de Chavignol. This medieval city is located on the top of a rocky outcrop. Do not hesitate to lose yourself in its sloping streets, you will inevitably arrive at the Esplanade de la Porte César. From its heights, you can see the river, the Nivernais to the east and the Berry to the west. From the Gallo-Roman era, Sancerre - more precisely Saint-Thibault, where the oppidum is located - has known a strong activity, due to the proximity of the Loire and two Roman roads (Bourges-Rians-Sancerre and Lyon-Autun-Gien-Orléans). The town, itself built around a first fortified castle, was erected at the highest point of the hillock around the 8th or 9th century. Throughout the Hundred Years' War, Sancerre resisted the pressure of the Anglo-Burgundians and was one of the last ramparts of the paltry kingdom of Charles VII, the "King of Bourges". In the 16th century, the town became Huguenot and underwent a memorable siege (1573). Today a protected site, Sancerre lives to the rhythm of the grape harvest amidst the fame of its wines. Some 360 winegrowers share 2,800 hectares and produce 22 million bottles of AOC wine each year, 60% of which is exported abroad. End your visit with a tasting of Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé