Chargé offers reasons to visit for anyone interested in craftsmanship, wine and cycling. Glass is particularly fascinating: on guided tours, you can follow the creation of a blown glass piece from start to finish; another activity lets you make your own glass piece. Wine tastings at the Plou et Fils winery and a connection to the AOC Touraine-Amboise appellation offer other highlights. There is also a cycling loop and an architectural detail in the Church of Saint-Marc. The experiences vary depending on whether you want to watch, take part, taste wine or cycle.
Glassmaking: Watch or Create Your Own
The Verrerie d’Art d’Amboise is located in Les Caves in Chargé. Its guided tours take place in a troglodytic cave on the Loire. Visitors can follow the creation of a blown glass piece from start to finish. The process itself is the focus: the tour makes it possible to understand the production process as a continuous sequence.
Another activity gives visitors the chance to learn traditional glassmaking techniques and create their own glass piece. This is not just a demonstration; it involves hands-on work. Compared with the tour, the focus shifts: there, guests watch a piece take shape; here, they get involved themselves. If you are choosing between the two, it may help to consider whether you would rather watch the entire process or learn the techniques through practical experience.
Chargé lies on the banks of the Loire; at the Verrerie, the tour takes place in a troglodytic cave on the Loire. The river is therefore both a geographical reference point for the town and part of the setting described for the glassmaking tour.
Wine Tasting and Appellation
The Plou et Fils winery in Chargé offers wine tastings to visitors. Chargé is also associated with the AOC Touraine-Amboise wine appellation. These are two distinct ways to explore wine: the tasting is a specific activity, while the appellation connection places the town in a wine context. When planning your trip, you can therefore distinguish between looking for an activity for visitors and taking the town’s connection to wine into account.
Cycling Loop and Picnic Area
The “Au fil de l’Amasse – Boucle vélo n°45” cycling loop follows a section of “La Loire à Vélo” towards Artigny. The loop also has a picnic area towards Artigny, with a view of the vineyards. Two different aspects matter when planning a ride here: the loop’s connection to a named cycling route and a specific place to take a break with a view of the vineyards.
The Reredos in Saint-Marc
The reredos in the Church of Saint-Marc has a rectangular, vertical panel with a niche whose rounded arch rests on two pilasters. The elements are easy to identify: the niche ends at the top in a rounded arch, and the two pilasters support this upper section. A pilaster is a flat, pillar-like architectural feature; here, it serves a specific function as a support for the arch. The form and arrangement of its individual parts make the reredos easy to understand.
Discover more destinations: Betz-Le-Château, Avon-Les-Roches, La Ville-Aux-Dames, Bridoré, Ports, Rigny-Ussé, Larçay, Ligré.
For the regional travel overview: Indre-Et-Loire.
