Saint-Aignan rises from the south bank of the Cher in tiers: a stone bridge, a riverside quay, steep streets of white tufa houses, a Romanesque collegiate church, and above it all a Renaissance château on its rocky terrace. It is a small town in the southern Loire valley, surrounded by vineyards, woods and fields, and it has the soft, unhurried feel of the Touraine.
The collegiate church is the town's treasure. Built in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, it has a fine bell tower, carved capitals and, in the crypt, a set of medieval wall paintings in remarkably fresh colours. The château, rebuilt in the Renaissance style, overlooks the river and the town, and the view from its terrace across the Cher is lovely. Downstream lies Chenonceau, the château that spans the river on arches, one of the most famous in France, and Montrichard with its keep.
Many visitors come to Saint-Aignan for something completely different: the ZooParc de Beauval, just outside the town, one of the largest and most visited zoos in Europe, famous for its giant pandas. On summer weekends the roads around the town are busy with families heading there, so plan accordingly.
The riding in the area is gentle and pleasant. The roads follow the Cher valley through vineyards and meadows, with long, smooth bends and views of the river, and climb onto low plateaus of woods and fields. Small lanes wind between villages, with little traffic outside the tourist season. To the east lies the Sologne, a flat land of forests, ponds and hunting estates, while to the south the land rises gently toward the Berry. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with green fields, mild weather and fewer tourists.
The local wines are Touraine whites and reds, especially sauvignon blanc and gamay, and the region produces goat's cheeses, including the ash-coated Selles-sur-Cher made just a few kilometres away. There are cafés and restaurants in the town centre, as well as supermarkets with fuel around Saint-Aignan and Noyers-sur-Cher across the river. For a bigger town with every service, Romorantin-Lanthenay is about half an hour east. A walk along the river at sunset, with the château lit above you, is a lovely end to the day.