Located just two hours south of Paris on the banks of the Indre River, the lovely town of Chateauroux is the perfect destination for a road trip through the countryside in the Centre region of France! Although it is close to the hustle and bustle of Parisian life, Chateauroux is quiet and enjoys a relaxed way of life. It was also the ending point for stage five of the Tour de France in 2008.

The town was named for a castle that was built in the 10th century by Raoul le Large, who was prince of Deols. Today, the Chateau Raoul, which was named for him, dates to the 15th century and is occupied by the prefecture. Also of note, an 18th century mansion in Chateauroux houses Napoleonic relics. The Count Henri-Gratien Bertrand died here, and he was a close friend of Napoleon I who also accompanied him into exile.