The best walks and hikes around Douy

Avoid the national road, very busy

The early 16th-century porter's lodge, built against one of the 13th-century walls, stood next to one of the old city's portcullises: the Porte d'Abas. Beautiful old half-timbered facade.

The imposing structure known as the "Château de Chateaudun" that reveals itself to visitors here is, of course, also available in other sports in the komoot system. For the corresponding hiking highlight, you'll find further relevant information and additional photos under the tips. If you're interested, see =>> https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/936307

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At the gates of the Loir valley coming from Paris, between Chartres and Blois, the Château de Châteaudun raises its proud and massive silhouette to the eyes of the visitor who approaches it from the north. Property of Jean, bastard of Orléans, Count of Dunois and companion of Joan of Arc, it was a solid fortress before becoming a pleasant princely residence. Overlooking the Loir by more than 60 meters, Châteaudun Castle offers a succession of elements of medieval, Gothic and Renaissance architecture of exceptional authenticity. Clinging to its rocky promontory, the 12th century “big tower” is one of the tallest and best preserved dungeons in France. In the 15th century, Jean Dunois undertook work and transformed the castle, demolishing part of the fortifications. He made the old medieval castle a comfortable and bright residence and endowed it with a Sainte-Chapelle. In the following century, his descendants, the lords of Longueville, completed the construction of the chapel and enlarged the castle with the Longueville wing. The Dunois wing and the Longueville wing have two sumptuous staircases with loggias, one with flamboyant decor and the other from the Renaissance period. Château de Châteaudun also houses a remarkable collection of Flemish and French tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries. The visit is completed by a medieval-inspired garden exploring the relationships between cuisine and medicine in the Middle Ages, while a hanging garden reveals a garden of idleness and relaxation, unique in the Central Region.

Before the 13th century there were two parishes, Saint-Sauveur and Saint-Gilles, in 1300 the bishop of Chartres united them into one by a charter of Berchères, because of the smallness of the two parishes. The church dates from the beginning of the 17th century. Rebuilt on the foundations of an old Romanesque church, its originality comes from its bell tower with saddle roof, its caquetoire and its paneled vault redone in 2003. At the initiative of the Prince Duke of Montmorency-Laval, it has contained the reliquary of Sainte-Félicité since 1838. Saint Félicité, whose relics are in Montigny-le-Gannelon, is a martyr whose life is unknown, whose body was taken from the sacred cemeteries of Rome. We have his body, the skull, the bones of his arms, fingers and feet. They were removed from the Saint-Cyriaque cemetery in 1828 and placed in their respective places on a body artistically modeled in wax and measuring more than 1.40 meters in length. A magnificent chase, of the shape and size of an altar tomb, all furnished with glazing and embellished with gilding received this precious deposit. Pope Leo XII donated it to the Duke of Laval, then Charles X's ambassador to Rome. On his death, he bequeathed it by will to the church of Montigny-le-Gannelon where the old historic castle of Laval-Montmorency is located. The venerated hunt is now placed under the main altar of which it forms the tomb.

The construction of the old Madeleine abbey dates back to the middle of the 12th century. This large Romanesque building has undergone successive alterations as well as a long restoration following a fire in 1940 but it remains the largest and most majestic religious building in the city. The now stripped interior appearance of the building only reinforces the majesty of the place. The beautiful south portal remained hidden behind the medieval city wall for a long time before being rediscovered at the end of the 19th century. Unlike the north facade, it has retained magnificent sculpted arches from the 12th century. The choir was rebuilt in the 16th century without the large ambulatory which previously existed but you can still admire a Renaissance tomb from the beginning of the 16th century in the apse.

magnificent view of the castle on the banks of the Loir with a small corner perfect for a picnic.