Though nowhere near as impressive as their counterparts along the Loire Valley, these small châteaux (many of them more akin to overgrown manor houses) have that elusive ingredient known as charm. At the last count, 17 local sites appeared on this tourist route which starts on the north bank of the Loire near Gien and reaches south to Culan. At Gien, 68 km south-east of Orléans, the 15thC chateau houses a hunting museum (open Mar-Dec). Other highlights along the way include: pretty lake-side Château de la Verrerie with frescoes in the 16thC chapel and an elegant Renaissance gallery (20 km south-east of Argent-sur-Saulare; open Mar-Dec); Château Menetou-Salon, 20 km north of Bourges on the D11, which also has a car museum; 17thC Château Jussy-Champagne, 22 km south-east on the D15, with its formal gardens; and the richly ornamented Gothic-Renaissance Château Meillant, 40 km south, on the D37. For more information see www.orleans.fr – including bike rental, or www.route-jacques-coeur.