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Between the Loire and the Cher, from Gien in the east almost as far as Blois in the west, lies the area known as the Sologne , marked to the southeast by the low, abrupt Collines du Sancerrois , northwest of Sancerre. The autoroute and main road from Orleans to Bourges run almost together through the middle of the area. Depending on the weather and the season it can be one of the most dismal areas in central France: damp, flat, featureless and foggy. But at other times its forests, lakes, ponds and marshes have a quiet magic - in summer when the heather is in bloom and the ponds are full of water lilies, or in early autumn when you can go hunting for wild mushrooms, egg-yolk orange chanterelles smelling of apricots, or cepes , with caps like suede and bulging pure white stalks. Wild boar and deer roam here, not to mention the ducks, geese, quails and pheasants, who far outweigh the small human population. Two grandes randonnees run through the Sologne, the GR41 and GR3C , and there are numerous other paths, well signposted and detailing the accessibility for bicycles. From Easter to the end of October, tourist offices in most of Sologne's towns and villages can provide maps and details of bike rental or horse riding, as well as accommodation details. Information about walks is also available from the tourist office at Orleans all year, though you may have to pay for some of the maps. If you're exploring the Sologne during the hunting season (Oct1-March 1), don't stray from the marked paths: there are endless stories of people being accidentally shot.
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