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 | Gien Downtown car rental - Travel Guide |  |
The fifteenth-century red- and black-brick Château at GIEN - where the young Louis XIV and his mother Anne of Austria hid during the revolts against taxation known as the Frondes - has been turned over to a Musée International de la Chasse , with weapons, stuffed and skeletal victims, horns and antlers, plus paintings, pottery and tapestries venerating the sport (daily: May-Oct 9am-6pm; rest of year 9am-noon & 2-6pm; 25F/?3.81). The squat building itself is hardly worth the climb to reach it, though the interior is quite striking, with its combination of timbered ceilings and brick. Though the exhibits here are dominated by depictions of royal and aristocratic hunting as a sport, it's worth bearing in mind that one of the material gains of the French Revolution of great importance for rural people was the right to hunt. The museum also hosts special exhibitions - some, such as that of animal sculpture, will be of more interest to nature and animal lovers than hunters.
The town of Gien is pretty enough, having been restored to its late fifteenth-century quaintness after extensive wartime bombing, and the sixteenth-century stone bridge spanning the river gives excellent views of its medieval mass as you approach from the south. Gien also has a history of fine china making, and there's the Musée de la Faïencerie in the cellars of the old workshops within the present-day factory on place de la Victoire, 1km west of the château and bridge (Jan & Feb daily 2-6pm; May-Sept Mon-Sat 9am-6.30pm, Sun 10am-6pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 9am-noon & 2-6pm, Sun 10am-noon & 2-6pm; 20F/?3.05). There are some beautiful nineteenth-century pieces and a video showing current fabrication techniques, which you can see for real in the factory during the week (by appointment only; tel 02.38.67.00.05; 20F/?3.05 combined ticket with museum).
The very helpful tourist office is on place Jean-Jaurès, between the château and the river (June-Aug Mon-Sat 10am-8pm; rest of year Mon 2-6pm & Tues-Sat 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6.30pm; tel 02.38.67.25.28, fax 02.38.38.23.16). Accommodation options in town include the Relais Normand , 64 place de la Victoire (tel 02.38.67.28.56, fax 02.38.67.28.56; under 160F/?24), and upmarket Le Rivage , 1 quai de Nice (tel 02.38.37.79.00, fax 02.38.38.10.21; 300-400F/?46-61), which is very hospitable and well situated by the bridge. The Camping Touristique de Gien , 500m west of the bridge across the river on rue des Iris (tel 02.38.67.12.50, fax 02.38.67.12.18; closed Dec), is a quiet and well-equipped campsite with a good view of the town. As for food, Le Rivage does good menus from 155F/?23.63, or you could try Côté Jardin south of the river, 14 rte de Bourges (tel 02.38.38.24.67; closed Sat lunch), with menus from 105F/?16. |
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