La Charité-sur-Loire Voyage Tips and guide

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La Charité-sur-Loire is in Nièvre in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region on the right bank of the Loire river on one of the routes of the Way of Saint James. It has turned itself into a "city of books", with many literary festivals and booksellers.

In 2022, it had a population of 4,700 people.

La Charité-sur-Loire is 26 km (by road) from Nevers.

The town is crossed by the D 179 road and the N 151 road which connects to interchange no . 29 of the A77 , bypassing the town a little over 2 km to the east.

• 47.1797223.0238891 La Charité station (Gare de La Charité), avenue de la Gare. SNCF train station, it has a passenger building with a ticket office open every day. It is equipped with TER ticket vending machines and various services. It is served by the TER Bourgogne fast train on the Moret—Veneux-les-Sablons to Lyon-Perrache line. It is 2 hours from Paris, with which it is connected by a direct link.  

• 47.177613.017471 The priory of Notre-Dame de La Charité-sur-Loire (Prieuré Notre-Dame de La Charité-sur-Loire). Benedictine priory whose foundation charter dates back to 1059. In 1998, the church of Notre-Dame was declared a UNESCO heritage site.  
• 47.177943.017252 Saint-Laurent church (ruins). 
• Saint-Pierre Church
• The old town: the streets and alleys have retained their old names bearing witness to professions and activities that have disappeared (Place des Pêcheurs, Rue des Chapelain, Rue du Grenier-à-Sel, Passage du Guichet, etc.), the name of a former owner (Rue du Champ-Baratté) or a past event
• La maison du Nain, adjoining the church
• 47.177273.015963 The salt attic (Grenier de Sel). 
• 47.179293.016354 The ramparts. The patrol path, which separates the Cuffy tower from the Perrinet Gressard tower, is accessible and provides a panoramic view of the medieval city and the Loire. 
• 47.1770583.0183125 Town hall (Hôtel de Ville).  
• The Promenade des Anglais
• Château de Gérigny, built in the 15th century on a feudal mound, has a main building dating from the 18th century, remodelled in the 19th century, surrounded by corner towers, a keep and a barbican tower with a spiral staircase. It is possible to rent guest rooms there
• Château de Voluray
• 47.176823.013786 The Old Bridge (Vieux Pont). A stone bridge built over the Loire in 1520. 

In the early 1990s , Christian Valleriaux, a bookseller in Paris, decided to come and set up shop in La Charité. In 1996, he created an old book fair. Then, following the example of what had been done in Hay-on-Wye in Wales , the idea was to make La Charité-sur-Loire a city of books. Since then, a dozen booksellers have set up shop in a historic town center, deserted by shops, as well as a few book artisans: typographers, illuminators, calligraphers, bookbinders and publishers. Since 2000 , La Charité has nicknamed itself the City of Books and City of Words. In 2003, the town created a Festival of Words which attracted more than 15,000 spectators. Many quotes from writers and personalities are painted on the facades of homes or businesses in the town, as well as, in front of the station, the words: "I am not alone, there are words". During the year, several events or book fairs are organized:

• the Spring Market — le Marché du printemps (third Sunday in April);
• the Book Artists and Craftsmen’s Fair — le Salon des artistes et artisans du livre (third Sunday in May);
• the Word Festival — le Festival du Mot (depending on the year, between the end of May and mid-June);
• the Old Books and Old Papers Fair — la Foire aux livres anciens et vieux papiers (third Sunday in July);
• Book Night — la Nuit du livre (first Saturday in August) combining jazz and books;
• the monthly market (the 3rd Sunday of the months from March to October).

The "Côtes de La Charité" vineyard is planted with typically Burgundian grape varieties such as Pinot Noir for the red and Chardonnay for the white.