Bourges (18 Cher, Centre – Val-de-Loire) holds an annual Truffle and Saffron market (Marché aux truffes et au safran) on 26 January 2025 usually on the last Sunday in January in place Marcel Plaisant.
Bourges in the Loire Valley is an enchanting city full of history and beautiful architecture, especially the gothic masterpiece of the Cathedrale St Étienne.< Although the city has roots dating back to Roman times, much of the historic architecture in Bourges is from the medieval era and it has one of the best preserved medieval quarters in France. The streets are lined with over 450 half-timber houses rebuilt after the Great Fire of the Madeleine in 1487, which tore through the city.
The breathtaking cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site built in the 12th and 13th centuries with incredible early 13th century stained glass and some impressive gargoyles and statues. It also has a wonderful sculpted garden in the classical French style, known as the Archbishop’s garden.
The beautiful Art Deco Prés-Fichaux gardens, situated on former marshland, are also a great place for a peaceful stroll with a rose garden, fountains and sculptures. Just 10 minutes out of the city are the Bourges marshlands where a labyrinth of 1000 gardens and meandering streams make for a charming and tranquil experience.
Another unmissable Bourges monument is the Palace of Jacques Coeur – built in 1450 it is an unusual mix of traditional rural styles and the urban mansion style of early Renaissance architecture. Home to the famous French merchant, Jacques Coeur, it is an exceptional but also functional work of civil architecture.
There are several museums in Bourges that are worth a look including a Decorative Arts museum, a Palace of Art, a Natural History museum, a museum of the best artisans in France housed inside the Archbishop’s Palace and a museum dedicated to the history of the Berry region (the archaic province that encompasses Bourges) containing Gallo-Roman artefacts and works of traditional Berry folk art. [www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/guides/france/loire-valley/bourges]
