Nature and history have combined beautifully: Cosne sur Loire is surrounded by the vineyards of Coteaux du Giennois, Sancerre and Pouilly sur Loire and also La Puisaye and its pottery traditions, the forest of Donziais and numerous architectural and cultural treasures.
From the Vieux Relais you can head off out into the countryside, plan fascinating tours and make enriching discoveries...

There is something for everyone in this surprising region!  

Françoise and Jean-Paul Carlier have selected a few of their favourite trips:  

In Guédelon, just thirty kilometres away, near to the village of Treigny in the Yonne department, meet the craftsmen and women who are rebuilding an 18th century fort with the exact tools and techniques used at the time of its construction. Stone masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, stone cutters, lumberjacks, bricklayers, tile layers, rope makers, basket weavers and carters are reviving and applying centuries old skills and techniques. This represents an immense challenge around stone, wood, iron, earth and clay. An unforgettable visit...  

Take the vineyards route around Pouilly, Sancerre and Coteaux du Giennois and share the wine makers' passion for their internationally renowned wines. The Pouilly Fumé tour offers a sensory trail in a Middle Ages building to explain the wine maker's work all year round, from pruning to harvesting and vinification...  

Explore the Briare canal bridge, less than 40km away. This is an exceptional monument in river travel heritage which was built in the 19th century by the Eiffel company. The site has a special charm of its own thanks to the impressive water courses where the Briare and Loire canals converge. Lock keepers' houses, locks, mooring areas and the canal Lords' castle can be admired here...

Stroll through Gien, less than 50km away. This town of art and history overlooks the Loire and offers the exceptional charm of Anne de Beaujeu's castle and Saint Joan of Arc's church. On the quaysides, flat bottomed boats bear witness to the city's past, during which the river trade flourished. Admire the famous earthenware made here, some of the most prestigious in France, and visit the Earthenware Museum...

  Penetrate the secrets of the Royal River at the Loire Museum in Cosne, not far from the Vieux Relais. An excellent exhibition of paintings, earthenware, ethnological articles and other items bearing witness to human activity on the river: boating, dredging and, of course, fishing...