Last month a new Napoleonic itinerary was inaugurated in the town of Châteauroux, focussing on the person of General Bertrand, whose presence in the town is difficult to miss, if only with the museum dedicated to him. The aim of the trail is to show visitors that part of General Bertrand’s life took place in the city, starting with his birth at Château Raoul. But there is also the Place Sainte-Hélène, the Lycée Impérial, and rue Bertrand to name but a few. Gil Avérous, Mayor of Châteauroux presented the new tourist trail at a recent press conference: “There are fifteen stages in all in the city, three of which are visitable in their own right: the Bertrand Museum (link to webiste in English), the church of Saint-André and the library. In the agglomeration, other visits are possible: in the forest of Châteauroux, in Laleuf and at the Chateau de la Saura. Outside the conurbation, one can follow in the footsteps of Emile de Liechtenstein at Villedieu-sur-Indre or those of the Prince of Talleyrand at the Château de Valençay”.
The pedestrian route in the city can be consulted on a leaflet (downloadable pdf), available at the tourist office, showing a route from Château Raoul to the library. “We integrated a flashcode allowing visitors to consult directly the Internet site of the tourist office from a spartphone. From there, detailed information for each location can be read in three languages: French, English and Chinese. In addition, to make it easier to follow the route, a system of markers on the ground bearing the effigy of the Imperial brand will soon be put in place,” adds Alexis Rousseau-Jouhennet.
The route, which was designed by eleven historians and specialists of the Napoleonic period, extends over a total distance of more than 80 km.
Presentation (in French) on the website of Chateauroux.
website of chateauroux Tourist office (in English)
Pdf (in french) with flashcodes to links in French English or Chinese.