Rose : Route
The Little Known Path of Roses
On the initiative of Tourisme Loiret, the "Route de la Rose" (Rose Route), aims to register the department as a destination of excellence for roses. This program has been carried out thanks to the partnership with Orléans Métropole, the Loiret Department, the Communities of Communes and Tourist Offices of the sites concerned, and the town of Bellegarde.
From the history of their creation and cultivation with the producers installed in the Loiret, to their display in the many parks and gardens in the communes, roses are one of the main threads of this atypical road trip to discover the territory.
Designed to show the historical and cultural importance of the rose in the Loiret region and to reveal the places where it is cultivated, La Route de la Rose is an original wandering journey, which is at once scenic, cultural, gourmet, artistic, and touristic.
An original way to explore the region, this fragrant and festive route is centered around 20 parks, gardens, and rose gardens to discover the Queen of Flowers in all her states, whether botanical, cultural, culinary, or cosmetic.
Loiret Region
THE CRADLE OF ROSES
Each year, at the height of its bloom, the Rose Route is animated by festive and ephemeral events. Thus, on the weekends between May 12 and 18, 2023, the "Route de la Rose en fête" will unfold a program with numerous activities celebrating the Queen of Flowers. From La Neuville- sur-Essonne to Pithiviers via La Bussière, Quiers-sur-Bezonde, Chilleurs-aux-Bois, Orléans, Pithiviers-le-Vieil and Meung-sur-Loire: head for the Loiret to see la vie en rose!It is in the forest that the beautiful adventure of the rose in the Loiret began. As early as the Middle Ages, the wild rose was picked to be grafted.
Heir to ancient horticultural know-how and traditions, the Loiret quickly became the cradle of renowned nurseries in the 18th century.
With the Loire River as a major axis for the exchange of plants and seeds, fertile lands and an exceptionally mild climate, the horticultural and arboricultural vocation of the department grew in the 19th century, supported by the arrival of famous botanists in the Pithiverais and Orléans regions.
In the 20th century, the Orléans region became the capital of the rose and hosted the first Floralies Internationales de France.
Bellegarde was chosen as the first "Village des Roses." The Loiret saw the birth of legendary roses, romantic thorns, generations of famous rose growers, and talented breeders such as André Eve.
Today, deeply rooted in the DNA of the territory, the rose is everywhere: in gardens, nurseries, conservatories, villages, and castles.
Three Micro-Regions
UNDERSTANDING THE ROUTE DE LA ROSE
A true sensory journey, La Route de la Rose does not impose any path: everyone is free to stroll from one site to another, to let themselves be carried away by nature, poetry, botany, colors, and fragrances; to glean advice from professionals, ideas for their garden; to taste rose products; to meet enthusiasts; and to leave with a bouquet or the rose of their dreams.There are three main areas on this route: Bellegarde, Pithiverais, and Orléans. Bellegarde and its rich architectural heritage (castle and outbuildings) is the historical capital of rose-stem production. This region highlights the origins of the flower in the Loiret and the families of rose growers.
Pithiverais: this part of the Loiret focuses on the famous breeder André Eve.
From the Grand Jardin du Théâtre des Minuits and its unique rose garden to the private garden of André Eve, passing by the Château de Chamerolles, Les Roses anciennes André Eve or the Roseraie de Morailles, the route is a bucolic stay under the open French skies. Further east, in Puisaye, the castle of La Bussière presents a collection of roses including a climbing rose "Château de La Bussière."
If you want to see a city in bloom, Orléans is a must! A promise of a fragrant escapade, the Rose Route in this part of the Loiret region is a true romantic oasis of roses, botanical collections, and an exceptional heritage with the Parc Floral de la Source, the Jardin des Plantes, the Roseraie Conservatoire Jean Dupont, not to mention the rose garden at the château de Saint-Jean-le-Blanc and the Francia Thauvin nursery in Saint-Cyr-en-Val.
Meet the Artisans
HELLO YOU
Le Lancelot – FRENCH BISTRO
Once a farmhouse near the Château de Chamerolles, Le Lancelot now honors the knights of the round table in the heart of the village of Chilleurs-aux-Bois. At the helm, the chef Catherine Delacoute offers an inventive, refined, and fragrant cuisine, including a menu entirely made of roses, from cocktails to dessert!
La Petite Venise – BARGE RESTAURANT
Moored on the quai du Pâtis in Montargis, La Petite Venise is an iconic barge-restaurant located on the Loing canal. On board, the chef-captain, Carolina Pouget, has worked in prestigious kitchens around the world and offers a creative menu & cocktails.
Rose-based PRODUCTS
Maison de la Prasline Mazet – SINCE 1636
Labeled as a Living Heritage Company, Maison Mazet holds the recipe for the oldest delicacy in France, whose origins date back to 1636: the famous Prasline de Montargis, a grilled and caramelized almond. MORE INFO HERE.
Le Domaine de Beau-Lièvre – ANTI-AGING COSMETICS
A former finance executive, Marie-Line Houdou became a horticulturist and cosmetologist in Autry-le-Châtel, a small village in the Loiret region. Dedicated to the organic cultivation of the Centifolia rose and to its cosmetics, this company promotes agriculture in harmony with nature.
SAVONS D'AUXY – NATURAL ROSE SOAPS
Located in Auxy near Beaune-la-Rolande, this small artisanal company produces soaps made by cold saponification, without palm oil, coloring, or preservatives. They offer an old rose soap with 100% natural ingredients (coconut oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil and rose perfume), great for all skin types. LINK.
Day Two
At the end of day one, consider staying at La Villa Dunois, a charming chambre d’hôtes offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner.Château de La Bussière
10 AM ARRIVAL
Surrounded by a 60-hectare park, set in the middle of a 7-hectare pond, the Château de la Bussière is all the more impressive as it now houses an international museum of freshwater fishing.
The vegetable garden has kept its 18th-century layout and presents trellised fruit trees, aromatic plants, medicinal plants, varieties of old vegetables, perennials, red fruits open to the picking, and many varieties of old and modern roses.
Since 2015, a climbing rose selected by André Eve bears the name of "Château de La Bussière.”
One can spend several hours here and everyone will find happiness in the castle, the park, in a boat on the pond, in the vegetable garden, with the family - it is a pure moment of relaxation surrounded by numerous varieties of roses.
LUNCH on-site, picnic style!
Domaine de Beau-Lièvre
3 PM ARRIVAL
Visit the Domaine de Beau-Lièvre, where the rose centifolia, the favorite rose of French perfumers, is grown organically. On site, the harvested roses are transformed to allow the manufacture of exceptional cosmetics, made from 100% natural ingredients. A boutique offers these cosmetics, as well as delicatessen creations made from flowers, herbs, medicinal plants, and small red fruits grown on the Domaine.
With multiple events scheduled in the Spring, Summer, and Autumn months, you'll find activities to join almost any time of the year.La Route de la Rose en fête
THE ROSE, A TRUE FASHION OF CULTURE! THIS EVENT PROGRAM IS FROM MAY 12 TO JUNE 18, 2023 AND IS A HUGE CELEBRATION SPANNING SEVERAL WEEKENDS.
Poetic scenography, photo exhibition, musical siesta,
floral art workshop, theater, literary stroll, botanical and guided tours, storytelling, themed walking tour,
concerts, illuminations, painting contest, and garden games. More than twenty activities are dedicated to rose lovers, budding gardeners, and nature enthusiasts!
International Rose Competition
Unique in its kind, the international rose competition in Orléans favors the remonstrance of rosebushes. This explains why it takes place in September, while the other competitions take place in May-June. DETAILS.
