La Ferme d’Helice

La Ferme d’Hélice is an organic sheep farm located at the hamlet of Le Fragne in Sarzay, in the Berry region (Indre). It is run by a couple, Joze and Bram, who have been welcoming travellers since 2002 and speak French, Dutch, English and German. The farm is listed by Home Paysan and by the tourist offices of the Pays de George Sand.

The site combines two options. On one side, a farm campsite of about one hectare, split into three areas (Pré des chevaux, Champ chalet, Le Verger) that together offer 12 to 13 pitches with electricity depending on the page of the website, while the farm as a whole can accommodate up to 35 people. On the other, gîtes around a courtyard: Le Bouton d’Or, Le Trèfle (14 to 15 people each, five bedrooms) and a chalet, Le Colombier, for six people. Two group gîtes are being renovated.

As for opening, the distinction is clear. The gîtes are announced as open from 1 January to 31 December, and the price list publishes a low season running from September to June, with weekend and midweek packages. The farm campsite and the Colombier chalet are shown by the tourist office as open from mid-May to October. Off-season, the offer therefore mainly targets groups, families and sports teams renting a whole gîte.

The setting is rural and quiet: the farm is 2 km from the village of Sarzay and 7 km from La Châtre.

Open fire in the gîtes, walking or mountain bike trails, birdwatching, George Sand museum in La Châtre, Saturday market.

The facilities are those of a farm stay: few in number, but practical. The campsite has three toilets, three showers, five washbasins and two wash troughs, a shared fridge, as well as washing machines and a drying area. Wi-Fi is free, electricity is available on the pitches (€2.50 or €5 depending on the option) and a night costs €15 for one person, one tent and one car, with €5 per additional person and €5 per pet.

In the gîtes, each unit has its own equipped kitchen, bathroom and a courtyard with garden. Le Bouton d’Or and Le Trèfle are designed for big gatherings around the table; Le Bouton d’Or has a fireplace with a wood stove, and firewood can be ordered for €15. Sheets can be rented for €6 per person, cleaning is done on request, and children’s equipment is lent out. Heating and electricity for the Colombier chalet are not included in its price.

A 9 × 5 m swimming pool, 1.20 m deep, with a terrace, is available to guests on the farm; no opening period is given, so assume it is a summer feature. For swimming elsewhere, the Sarzay river is 2 km away, the swimming pools of La Châtre 7 km and of Châteauroux 30 km. A restaurant, a bar and an artisan bakery can be found in Sarzay, and La Châtre, 7 km away, has shops and a Saturday market.

On site, everything revolves around the farm. In the morning you can feed and brush the sheep, the donkey and the ponies, play table tennis or jump on the trampoline; a playground and carts keep children busy. On request, the hosts organise campfires, barbecues and night walks. The sheep graze outdoors nearly all year, so there are animals to see even outside summer.

Within 10 km, walking and mountain bike trails, fossil hunting and birdwatching are on offer, along with the Château de Sarzay, the George Sand routes and, in La Châtre, the George Sand museum. In Neuvy-Saint-Sépulcre, 7 km away, there is a riding centre and a fishing lake. Further afield, the lakes of Sidiallé and Éguzon (30 km) offer water skiing.

For day trips, the farm suggests the Zoo de la Haute Touche (30 km), the artists’ village of Gargilesse (30 km), the Parc de la Brenne (35 km), the châteaux of Valençay (50 km) and Culan, as well as Futuroscope in Poitiers, 150 km away.