The best walks and hikes around Saint-Denis-De-L'Hôtel

Between the Loire and the forest, the commune of Mardié is part of the Métropole Orléans Val de Loire, forming its eastern entrance, 12 km from the center of Orléans. With a long history largely marked by viticulture, part of its territory belongs to the Loire Valley section classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Quite vast, the commune has an area of 17.3 km² and stretches for about 12 km from Northwest to Southeast with a width of only 4 to 5 km. The relief is marked only by the slopes that delimit the valleys of the Loire and the river Cens, doubled by the Canal d'Orléans. The altitude is between 100 and 120 m. The landscapes are varied and have a lot of character. "Natural" landscapes with the banks of the Loire, the canal and the Cens valley, vast cultivated areas and very extensive woods. Inhabited landscapes with the town center, clustered around a beautiful Romanesque church, a lively district in Pont-aux-Moines with its small shops, very green and airy residential areas, some important hamlets that have retained traditional rural housing mixed with more recent constructions. The commune benefits from the main services and shops, and is well served by public transport to Orléans. Despite demographic growth, which remains controlled (just under 3000 inhabitants), it has retained a fairly marked rural character and remains, in many respects, a village where life is good.

Beautiful view! A must-see: Bird Island, especially during nesting season, but be discreet...

Beautiful old barges lie in the river.

the temple of love

Very nice to find some tools just in case!

Until the middle of the 19th century, the Loire was the main route through which goods passed from the interior of the country to the port of Nantes. Saint Denis de l'Hotel. Jargeau [In a letter of donations from the Bishop of Orléans MANASSES de GARLANDE in favor of the Chapter of Jargeau dated 1163, our commune is designated: ECCLESIAM SANCTI DIONYSI DE HOSPITIO SUPRA LIGERIM (Church of Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel on Loire). The port During the time of the Loire navy, commercial activities were very important there and even in the 17th century exceeded those of the port of Jargeau (trade in wine, vinegar, wood). The Bridges of Saint Denis from the Hotel The first bridge was built in the 13th century and destroyed in 1790; its foundations are still visible during low water periods. From 1790 to 1834, a ferry allowed the crossing of the river. In 1832 a wooden suspension bridge was built, replaced by another metal one, inaugurated on July 10, 1927. It was damaged twice during the 1939-45 war, repaired then definitively destroyed in 1988, the date the current bridge was put into service. it replaced an old suspension bridge located further downstream.

Bridge lit by LEDs, different illuminations and colors depending on the time of year, particularly summer, an application was even created for the occasion under the name bridge & lights

If you are looking for a peaceful and natural place to stop off during your hike, you can visit the Courpain nature reserve, a 13-hectare space located at the confluence of the Loiret and the Loire. This site is part of the Saint-Mesmin nature reserve and is home to a forest rich in 23 species of trees and 15 species of shrubs. You can enjoy the seasonal beauty of this place, such as the white carpet of snowdrops in March, the concert of birds in May, or the white rafts of water crows on the Loiret in June.