Our take
Naturally sparkling water that comes out right down by the Loire, a small stone building, rust-coloured earth all around, and a bottling story that ended in 1914: a site you have to earn on foot, far from any road.
A naturally sparkling, iron-rich spring on the bank of the wild Loire, bottled until 1914 and reached on foot from Les Salles.
A mineral spring on the bank of the Loire, far from any road. The water comes out iron-rich and naturally sparkling, and it stains the earth of the banks rust-coloured, around the small Loire-stone building that shelters it.
Operated from 1882 under prefectural authorisation, it then featured on the prescriptions of doctors in the Le Puy region. It was bottled until 1914: teams of oxen brought the crates up from the valley, and the water even won a medal at the Calcutta International Exhibition in 1884.
To get there, set off from the hamlet of Les Salles and follow the PR 654, the wild Loire path: 3 km there and back, allow about 1 hour 10 of easy walking.
Why we love it
- Iron-rich water that sparkles all by itself as it comes out of the ground
- The rust-stained earth around the small stone building
- A site far from any road, on the bank of the wild Loire
- Water prescribed by doctors in the Le Puy region in the 19th century
Top tip
Coming from Chadron, look out for the hamlet of Les Salles just before Saint-Martin-de-Fugères: that is where the path goes down to the Loire. Good shoes recommended; no road passable by car gets near the spring.
Before you go
- In the cool of the morning, when the light drifts down into the Loire valley.
- You set off from the hamlet of Les Salles, just before Saint-Martin-de-Fugères when you come from Chadron.
- The PR 654, the wild Loire path, leads to the spring: 3 km there and back, about 1 hour 10 of easy walking.
- The way out goes down to the Loire, so the way back climbs up: good shoes recommended.
- No road passable by car gets near the spring, everything is done on foot.
Weather for the next 3 days
Today
15°/5°
dry · 19 km/h
Tomorrow
15°/1°
dry · 7 km/h
Tue 27
22°/8°
dry · 9 km/h
Source: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). General lowland forecasts, to be cross-checked with specialist mountain forecasts at altitude.
Practical info
- Address
- 43150 Saint-Martin-de-Fugères, France
43150 Saint-Martin-de-Fugères - Monday24 hours
- Tuesday24 hours
- Wednesday24 hours
- Thursday24 hours
- Friday24 hours
- Saturday24 hours
- Today24 hours
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