le moulin - an iconic pioneer

self-guided single-centre holidays

- pioneered at le Moulin du Chemin

The first Formally Organised Self-guided Single-centre Walking Holidays and Cycling Holidays anywhere in the world were probably created by the folks at le Moulin du Chemin.

Single-centre Walking and Cycling Holidays are based at one hotel for the duration of the holiday,

from where walking or cycling itineraries are organised starting from and returning to the hotel,

rather than following the traditional model of walking or cycling from hotel-to-hotel.

Modern tourism was almost certainly born in 1846 when Thomas Cook arranged a rail tour of Scotland, for 350 clients - the venture bankrupted him. Nevertheless, in 1855 he managed to arrange the first of many commercial escorted 'Grand Circular Tours of Europe'.

Tourism developed during the 20th Century with place-to-place walking holidays followed by single-centre skiing holidays and sea, sex and sun package holidays. Place-to-place cycling holidays probably started in USA in 1976.

The proprietors of le Moulin du Chemin believe that formally organised self-guided single-centre walking and cycling holidays were pioneered by themselves, starting in the mid-1990s, where guests stay at one hotel and have the opportunity to follow different daily itineraries.

Single-centre holidays have less stress and are less 'touristy' than hotel-to-hotel holidays. Without rigid itineraries, single centre holiday are also more versatile and more amicable. Find out why:

le Moulin du Chemin Maison d'Hôte established 1993

Carolynn Grimaldi and Peter Roche

2 lieu-dit le Moulin du Chemin, 79240 Scillé, France

+ 33 (0)5 49 95 94 87

environmentally and socially responsible

The Thomas Cook picture is from Wikipedia

website by Peter Roche with support from Studio360