Plan a trip taking in the Christmas châteaux in the Loire Valley around Orléans that have special Christmas openings and events. They are located to the south west of Orléans, with a couple further away.

I have listed them geographically down the Loire Valley from Orléans, starting with Meung-sur-Loire. The last two châteaux listed here are a little out of the way.  

Château de Meung sur Loire

The small medieval town of Meung-sur-Loire itself is well worth a visit. Combine it with the Christmas château and it makes a great short break. This year over 20 of the rooms are themed specially for Christmas. Lucie Lux, a very special character, takes you on a new 20-minute adventure with le Krizo theatre group, daily at 2.15, 3, 3.45 and 4.30. You can draw or write on the walls of one room;  Santa is waiting to greet you (up to Dec 23), meet Walter the magical speaking robot and let off steam on the bouncy castle.

Château de Meung sur Loire
16 Place du Martroi
45130 Meung-sur-Loire
Tel: +33 (0)2 38 44 36 47
Website
Open: Nov 29-30, Dec 13-14, 20-23, 26-30. 2-6pm
Admission: Adult €12,50, reduced price €11, child 4-15 years €9, under 4 years and over 80 years free.

Chambord Château

Chambord is one of the great châteaux of the Loire Valley. And it is huge with over 400 rooms…and 282 fireplaces. At Christmas it pulls out all the stops (though it doesn’t light all the fires). Decorations are inspired by fairy tales, particularly Hans Christian Andersen commemorating the 150^th anniversary of his death. There’s a brand new grand magic show by Gaël the magician, a festive Christmas village near the château, as well as activities every weekend in December from traditional games to Renaissance dances. Don’t miss the chocolate painting. This is one of the Christmas châteaux in the Loire Valley around Orleans that you should see.

The château and gardens are decorated with Christmas trees, beautifully illuminated. If you can, get a look at the chateau from the canal side to see the yews lit up.

Chambord Château
Chambord
41250 Loir-et-Cher
Tel: +33 (0)2 54 50 40 00
Website
Open: Dec 21 to Jan 4: 9am-6pm
Check the website as the château will be closed on certain Mondays.
Admission: Adult €19.50; reduced price €16.50.

Château de Blois

Blois has one of the best son et lumière shows in France during the summer; at Christmas the mood changes. In 2025, from 28 November, stars will appear as if by magic.
In the paved courtyard of the château, a moon and stars shine on each façade; in the gardens, Under the Cloud offers more coloured lights.

Inside, garlands of lights magically bring the chapel back to life. Finally the highlight of the show: two huge stars, 5 metres high, shine in the immense Salle des États Généraux, illuminating its vaulted blue-midnight ceiling. And there are candlelit concerts, poetic performances and more.

Château de Blois
6 place du Château
Blois
41000 Loire-et-Cher
Tel: +33 (0)2 54 90 33 33
Website
Open: Nov 28-Dec 19: 10am-5pm (closes at 6 p.m. on Fri, Sat, and Sun.
Dec 20-Jan 3, 2026: 10am-7pm (closes at 5pm on Dec 24 & 31)
Closed Dec 25 and Jan 1, 2026
Admission: Adult €14.50; reduced rate €11; child 6-17 years €7.50; under 6 free.

Château de Cheverny

With lavish furniture and décor, Cheverny is a delight, particularly when it’s sumptuously decorated with Christmas decorations. This year the theme is Christmas treats with giant sweets.
Dec 7: Santa Claus arrives…but how remains to be seen. There’s the giving of gifts then a chance for photographs with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and their elves. Warm up with mulled wine and the famous Cheverny homemade hot chocolate.

Château de Cheverny
Avenue du Château
Cheverny
41700 Loire-et-Cher
Tel: +33 (0)2 54 79 96 29
Website
Special Christmas Events: Nov 29, 2025 to Jan 18, 2026
Open daily: Oct 1-Dec 31: 10am-5.30pm
Admission: Adult €15; reduced rate €11; under 7 years old free.

Domaine of Chaumont-sur-Loire

The gracious château looking down onto the Loire River is mainly known for its annual garden festival (a bit like Chelsea Flower Show but it lasts much longer). Visit in winter and discover how the family prepared for Christmas Eve in the late 19^th century. Marie-Charlotte-Constance Say, heir to the Say sugar refineries, was the last private owner of the château from 1875 to 1938 and she spent money lavishly. From the stables to the chateau’s rooms, decorations transform the castle, particularly in the salon with its decorated Christmas trees. The feast is being prepared in the kitchens.
Take a guided tour to get a glimpse of some of the smaller, different rooms from the servants’ quarters to the children’s bedroom.  

Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire
Chaumont-sur-Loire
41150 Loire-et-Cher
Tel: +33 (0)2 54 20 99 22
Website
Open: Nov 29-Jan 11, 2026. Daily except Dec 25 and Jan 1: 10am-5.30pm
Admission: Winter Low Season Adult: €16; reduced rate €9; 6 to 11 years old €4.

Château de la Ferté Saint Aubin

Privately owned and lived in continuously for over 350 years, the Château de la Ferté Saint Aubin goes all elvie at Christmas. The first elf, Barnabé, will introduce you to the adventure of exploring the castle. The stables are full of miniature animals; a musician elf practices in Santa’s private apartments; there’s a toy attic, a DIY workshop and kitchens where the gourmet elf will offer you his famous honey madeleines and a hot chocolate. And you end by meeting Santa.

Château de la Ferté Saint Aubin
2-4 rue Général Leclerc
La Ferté-Saint-Aubin
45240 Loiret
Tel: +33 (0)2 38 76 52 72
Website
Open: Dec 6-7, 13-14, 20-23 & 26-30 2pm-6pm
Admission: Adult €16; reduced rate (12-20 years old); €14 Child (4-11 years old) €1; under 3 years free

Château de la Bussière

Christmas fairy tales transform every room with decorations on the theme of the best stories of our childhood. Walk through enchanted villages, forests made out of paper and rooms fit for a princess. Taking place from Dec 6, 2025 to Jan 3, 2026, there are special days with interactive events called Spectacle de magie de Noël (Dec 6, 7, 13, 14, 23, 26 & 30), and from Dec 27 to 29, actors take over as they bring to life the story of Cosette (episode 4) in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

Château de la Bussière
35 Rue du Château
La Bussière
45230 Loiret
Tel +33 (0)9 50 55 63 68
Website
Open: Dec 6-7, 13-14, 20-23 & 26-30, Jan 2-3, 2026: 2pm-6pm
Admission: Adult €10, reduced rate €7.50, 4-15 years €5
Château and spectacle: Adult €13, reduced rate €10.50, 4-15 years €9

Discover the Château de la Bussière on the drive down the Loire Valley between Nevers and Orleans.

Château de Maintenon

The château de Maintenon was the glorious home of Madame de Maintenon, the secret wife of France’s Sun King, Louis XIV. For Christmas the château takes you back to the past, but a past rather more recent…the 19^th century. The year is 1843 and the glorious celebration is…A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Expect Victorian decorations, songs, a workshop and a lot more.
Their programme takes in talks about the story, carols, a workshop making Christmas crowns, Christmas cards and more. It starts with Father Christmas himself on December 7, with horse and carriage rides, a walk with singers and fireworks.

Château de Maintenon
2 Place Aristide Briand
Maintenon
28130 Eure-et-Loir
Tel: +33 (0)2 37 23 00 09
Website:
Open: Dec 6-Jan 4, 2026 : Tues-Fri 2-6.30pm; Sat-Sun 10.30am-6.30pm
Admission: Adult €8.50; reduced rate €4.50, 7 to 18 years €4.

More about Christmas in France

Christmas in Touraine in the Loire Valley Chateaux

Christmas in France

December Events in France
Best Christmas Markets in France
Best Christmas Markets in North France (plus where to stay in each town)
How the French celebrate Christmas
Festive Christmas Food in France

More about the Loire Valley

Drive the whole way along the Loire Valley from Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne to St. Nazaire where the mighty river empties into the sea
The Great Rivers of France

Geography of France

Departments of France
Regions of France

The post Christmas Châteaux in the Loire Valley around Orléans appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The complete Loire Valley drive takes you from Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne to Saint-Nazaire on the French Atlantic Coast where the mighty river empties into the ocean after its 630 mile (1,013 km) journey.

I have divided this Loire Valley drive into six major sections. The first and the last stage have less well known attractions but offer spectacular views and some great surprises. The most popular routes are in the sections from Orléans to Saumur, taking in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Valley of the Kings. It was in this part of France favoured by monarchs for centuries that much of the history of the country was made.

Click on the heading for a Loire Valley drive through each section.

Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers

One of the least known of the routes along the Loire Valley passes through two cities steeped in industrial heritage and the arts. Visit the château built on an island in the river and the spa town of Bourbon-Lancy. The route takes in one of France’s great canals and finishes at the delightful town of Nevers.

Nevers to Orléans

The small roads between the river and the canal will surprise with an old town with medieval quays and an engineering feat that answered the great challenges of building France’s canal system. Plus two famous wine-producing regions, a château with a stunning kitchen garden, and a town famous for ceramics (and one of those tempting factory outlet shops).
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Loire Valley starts here. The route finishes at Orléans, a city well worth a longer visit.

Orléans to Blois

This Loire Valley section takes you into the intriguing, and often bloody, history of the French monarchs, their wives, mistresses and scheming courtiers. It has some of France’s greatest châteaux to wander through, less famous ones to discover, and a garden for rose lovers.

Blois to Tours

More blockbuster châteaux in this part of the Loire Valley drive plus the last home of Leonardo da Vinci. Go off the beaten track for beautiful gardens and surprises. Did you know about the fabulous gardens at Nitray, or the château that has the National Tomato Conservatory with over 700 tomato varieties, and a good bed and breakfast?

Tours to Saumur

Châteaux and fortified castles offer more turbulent French history while some of France’s great potagers (kitchen gardens) show how well the French Kings and Queens ate. The English Plantagenet royal family lies in state in a great French Abbey which has a hotel, restaurants and a contemporary art museum.

Saumur to Saint-Nazaire

This last section starts with familiar attractions then takes on the feel of the sea as it nears the Atlantic Ocean. Plus fascinating unknown châteaux: the ‘medieval Doomsday bunker’ and the ‘Giant of the Loire Valley’. Great cities vie with each other with world famous tapestries and huge machines that walk around the town. The Loire Valley drive ends at Saint-Nazaire whose major shipyards have built the world’s greatest liners.

More Information

Loire Valley Towns and Cities with attractions, places to stay and how to get to each one

French Atlantic Coast

Major Rivers of France

Loire à Velo Route – Where to stay, how to book and attractions to see on this great cycle route

Budget Hotel Chains give you some good options on cheap (and good) accommodation in all parts of France

Departments of France

New Regions of France

The post The Complete Loire Valley Drive appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Loire Valley drive from Saumur to Saint-Nazaire is the final part of our journey from (nearly) source to sea of the great river. In the section from Saumur to Angers you’re still in the Valley of the Kings with some magnificent châteaux to visit. Then you enter a part of France that looks west out to the Atlantic and beyond and it feels quite different.

Loire Valley Drive Routes

Fast Route: Saumur to Saint-Nazaire is 209 kms/130 miles taking around 2 hrs 15 mins. The A11 autoroute has tolls of €15.

Scenic Route: 247 kms/153.50 miles taking 4 hrs 30 mins.

Saumur to the Château de Brézé

Drive: Take the D93 for 11.5 kms/7 miles taking 15 mins to the Château de Brézé.

The Château is a real oddity with a long history stretching back to the 11th century. Most remarkably it’s remained through the centuries in the family of the Lords of Brézé. The family managed a judicial mix of inheritance and marriage (including a particularly advantageous one to an ancestor of Colbert, Louis XIV’s powerful Minister in the 17th century).

Today you see the impressive Renaissance and later neo-Gothic château and its rich interiors. But more interesting is the building under the château. Once a troglodyte dwelling, the owners built a house above ground but kept the underground galleries (3 kms/2 miles). Bedrooms, food storage rooms, a bakery and stables were used as a defence during the 11^th-century Viking raids, and at all times to escape the harshest of winters and the dreaded plague.

In the mid 1440s Gilles of Maillé-Brézé built a new Renaissance-style château. He added fortifications and dug out the moat but left the underground structure intact. The dry moat around the walls of the castle is extraordinary, with just two entrances to the château beneath the château.

Chateau de Brézé

The BBC made a documentary about the underground section, calling it a ‘medieval Doomsday bunker’.

On to another oddity – The Château de Brissac

Drive: Take the D761 for 45 kms/28 miles taking around 40 mins.

The Château de Brissac has been in the same family since 1502. When you visit you might meet the owner, the Marquis Charles-André de Brissac who lives here with his wife and four children. If you do you’ll hear some great stories about the family.

Brissac is the tallest château in France, a lofty seven storeys, described by the owner as the ‘Giant of the Loire Valley’. It’s splendidly decorated as you’d expect but with its portraits and photographs has the feel of a family home – albeit a pretty posh one.

There’s a lavish small theatre created by Jeanne Say, Marchioness of Brissac for the family’s Belle Epoque Parisian friends. She entertained them with her own performances (she was a notable singer) and from 1890 to 1916 with her annual opera festival.

Make sure you go down to the kitchen which is worth a visit and also houses a very good shop. The Château hosts an annual Christmas fair so if you’re in the region, check it out.  

Château de Brissac

Château de Brissac to Angers

Drive: D748 and D87 for 20 kms/12.5 miles, 20 mins into Angers.

Angers

The ancient capital of Anjou is a delightful town with a formidable Château surrounded by a wall that boasts seventeen circular towers. The main attraction is the extraordinary Tapestry of the Apocalypse. The 14th-century masterpiece shows the story of the Day of Judgement. Walk around the panels on the walls of the dimly lit gallery and you’re looking at the stuff of medieval nightmares. It’s one of the greatest tapestries of France. Then look at the 20th-century equivalent; it’s equally powerful with its atomic bomb nightmares.

Angers Tourist Office

On from Angers

This part of the Loire Valley drive from Angers to Saint-Nazaire takes you out of the Valley of the Kings with its magnificent châteaux where the monarchs of France lived, loved and lost.

There were different priorities in this western part of France. Paris and the central Loire Valley were far away, though connected via the river. It was Brittany, wild, independent until the 16^th century, and looking towards the ocean rather than rural France, that dominated the region.

And there’s one more classic château to visit.

Château de Serrant

Drive: Take the D523 and D723 for 18.5 kms/11.5 miles and around 20 mins towards Saint-Georges-sur-Loire. Just before the town you’ll come to the Château de Serrant.

Started in the 16th century and finished two centuries later, the Château stands in a large park. It’s stately inside, decorated with furniture of the style set to impress. You can visit most of the rooms, the park and kitchens on your own.

If you want to venture into the impressive library with its 12,000 books, the Empire room for Napoleon and the grand Duchess’s room, you have to take the guided tour.

Château de Serrant

On to…Nantes

The A11 autoroute is the quickest road to Nantes. It’s 84 kms/51 miles and takes around an hour. But it does have tolls of around €9.

OR…If you can’t bear to leave the Loire after such a long journey, take the D752 and the D723 for 40 kms/25 miles taking around 45 mins to Ancenis. Here the Bretagne-Anjou suspension bridge crosses the Loire, dividing the two departments Maine-et-Loire and Loire Atlantique. Old quays and warehouses line the banks of the once busy river port where the bridge, the ‘key to Brittany’ as it was called, controlled the river traffic into Nantes.

Drive: From Ancenis stay on the D723 before taking the A811 into Nantes. It’s 45 kms/28 miles taking around 45 mins.

Nantes

Nantes is one of my favorite cities and I’m not alone in my admiration of it.

When you get to Nantes, there’s a feeling of the ocean. Nantes is an estuary city, looking west towards the Atlantic. It’s also a fabulous city which has reinvented itself over the last 15 years or so.

Nantes was once the capital of an independent Brittany, owing its later 18^th century fame and fortune to the Atlantic trade to America, exporting Africans into slavery from here.

There’s plenty to see here including the 15th-century Château des Ducs, and most notably Les Machines de L’Ȋle, an innovative, vast company that makes huge machines in the shapes of carousels, elephants, and most recently the Dragon of Calais.

You might want to finish your trip here and stay in Nantes. if you do, you have the wonderful Atlantic coast to explore. The Vendée department is glorious, well worth a long stay.

If you’re a sailor, Les Sables d’Olonne is the place to make for. This small city hosts the Vendée Globe solo round the world race every four years. The next Vendée Globe race is in 2024.

And one of the most exciting, and eccentric solo, round-the-world race has just finished. The Golden Globe is a heroic race in small boats using 1960s technology and the sun and stars to navigate by. The last one started on Sep 4, 2022 and finished in June 2023.

Loire Valley Drive from Nantes to the end at Saint-Nazaire

Drive: Take the D723, the D77 and D277 for 67 kms/26 miles taking around 1 hr 15 mins.

The road skirts the southern part of the estuary so get a map of that part from the tourist office to look at the artworks along the river. They are quite startling and are all part of the annual Voyage à Nantes annual festival. It runs July 1 to September 3, 2023.

Right at the top of the estuary mouth you’ll see the last of the Nantes sculptures. The Serpent d’Océan lies stranded on the beach north of Saint Brevins-les-Pins.

Here you cross the mighty suspension bridge into Saint-Nazaire.

Saint-Nazaire

Saint-Nazaire is an industrial city with one of the largest shipyards in the world. Try to visit the Chantiers de l’Atlantique; its sheer scale is impressive. And don’t miss the story of the great Atlantic passenger liners, most of them built here.

The Industrial Heritage of Saint-Nazaire

But Saint-Nazaire has another side with its beaches, walks, new restaurants and bars. Well worth a visit.

So we come to the end of a long journey with this Loire Valley drive from Saumur to Saint-Nazaire.

The Valley of the Kings in the central part of the Loire is undoubtedly the most impressive and is the most visited. But I hope you might have been encouraged to visit the wilder parts of the Loire in this series of articles.

More Information

Loire Valley Towns and Cities with attractions, places to stay and how to get to each one

Loire Valley Drive in Sections

From Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers
From Nevers to Orléans
From Orléans to Blois
From Blois to Tours
From Tours to Saumur

French Atlantic Coast

Major Rivers of France

Loire à Velo Route – Where to stay, how to book and attractions to see on this great cycle route

Budget Hotel Chains give you some good options on cheap (and good) accommodation in all parts of France

Departments of France

New Regions of France

The post Loire Valley from Saumur to Saint-Nazaire appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Loire Valley drive from Tours to Saumur is a very short distance but it’s packed full of places to visit. There are some lovely gardens on this stretch of the Loire Valley drive, a perfect medieval fortress and one of the most beautiful châteaux in France. And don’t forget the Touraine wines.

Loire Valley Drive Routes

Fast Route: Tours to Saumur direct is 79 kms/50 miles taking just under an hour including tolls on the A85. 

Scenic Route: 116 kms/72 miles taking around 2 hours.

Start with romantic Le Prieuré de St-Cosme

Drive: 3.5 kms/2 miles west taking around 12 minutes.

The first attraction on the Loire Valley drive from Tours to Saumur is in Tours itself. The Prieuré de St-Cosme is a real find in an unprepossessing area of suburbia. Once on an island, this is the priory where France’s greatest Renaissance poet, Pierre de Ronsard, lived as prior from 1565 until his death in 1585. Go in May or June if you can when the 2,000 or so rose bushes bloom in the garden of the ruined monastery and the air is heavy with their scent.

From Le Prieuré de St-Cosme to 3 Gorgeous Attractions

Château de Villandry

Drive: From Le Prieuré de St-Cosme take the D7 for 18kms/11 miles and 25 mins.

Villandry was the last great Renaissance château built on the Loire. It was the work of Jean Le Breton, Minister of Finance for King François l in the 1530s. 18^th-century improvements ushered in a more classic style, obliterating much of the original Renaissance building. The French Revolution’s aftermath brought different owners, including Jérôme Bonaparte, Napoleon I’s younger brother.

In 1906, Dr Joachim Carvallo (1869-1936) and his wife Ann Coleman (1875-1940), heir to an American iron and steel empire in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, bought Villandry. They began the long restoration of the Renaissance façades.

The buildings are impressive, but it’s the gardens which are the great glory of Villandry. The original owner had laid them out in sections that descended gently to the Loire. The new owners’ second, and greatest achievement was to restore the garden to their original Renaissance inspiration.

The six different gardens are magnificent, dropping down from the top classical water garden. Then you come to an ornamental garden, the beds separated by boxwood hedges, then the sun garden full of roses, shrubs and coloured grasses.

But it’s the potager (vegetable garden) which is the star of the show. It’s spread over 12,500 square metres and is planted with carrots, aubergines, cabbages and much more in symmetrical order. Beyond that runs the 1970s monastic-inspired herb garden, and finally you come to the maze.

Château de Villandry

Château  de Villandry to Langeais

Drive: Take the D7 and D952 10 kms/6 miles for 12 mins taking you over the Loire to Langeais.

Dominating the town is the formidable fortress; its battlements, towers and drawbridge designed to stop any attack from the river.

Langeais Castle has a special place in French history. In 1491 Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany were married in the main chamber, bringing the hitherto determinedly independent Bretons into the kingdom of France. As part of the marriage contract, Anne promised to marry the new sovereign if Charles died and there was no heir. And that’s what happened. None of the couple’s children survived; Charles VIII died at Amboise in 1498 and Anne married his cousin, Louis d’Orléans who became Louis XII.

Langeais is different from the other châteaux along the Loire. Its last owner, Jacques Siegfried bought the building in 1886 and spent the rest of his life restoring it back to a castle rooted in the Middle Ages. Medieval tiles cover the floors; priceless tapestries hang on the walls, keeping the cold at bay.

Outside scaffolding shows how medieval castles were built.

But if medieval castles are your thing, make sure you see Guédelon, a castle being built from scratch in Burgundy.

Langeais Castle

Langeais to the Château of Azay-le-Rideau

Drive: Cross back over the river on the D57 for 10 kms/6 miles on a 12-minute drive to Azay-le-Rideau.

The small town is a gem of a place; the gracious château in complete contrast to the powerful, defensive Langeais.

Azay-le-Rideau Château is beautiful and serene, set in a little island in the Indre.  Built between 1519 and 1527, its pale stone walls and perfect Renaissance turrets are reflected in the water. The writer Balzac, a frequent visitor, described it as ‘a faceted diamond, set in the Indre‘. It sounds a bit over the top…until you see the château.

Inside you walk through a series of richly decorated rooms, with tapestries and royal portraits on the walls, fireplaces decorated with the salamander of François I. The most prominent feature is the grand central staircase which rises in straight flights, not in a spiral.

There are some real treats in some of the rooms. Set with tables full of goodies, larger-than-life figures pirouette and dance slowly in front of you. For children it’s mesmerizing. The gardens are for quietly strolling through. And there’s a great gift shop.

One for the family: Château de Rivau

Drive: Take the D757 south for 28 kms/17 miles around 26 minutes to the Château de Rivau.

Here you’ll find a particularly fun château that children love. The Château de Rivau was built by the Beauvau family who were related to the Counts of Anjou and faithful servants of the King. The estate became known for its war horses, used by Joan of Arc in 1429. In 1510, François  de Beauvau, one of François I’s captains, built impressive stables and was given the privilege of housing the King’s stallions as his reward.

You walk through the medieval château with the sounds of the past: horses clip-clopping into the courtyard; the words of poets, and the songs of troubadours ringing in your ears.

Along with the history comes a contemporary art show each year with art works added to the permanent collection.

But it’s the gardens that once again take central stage. 12 separate areas are inspired by legends and fairytales, with art works and decorations to match. There’s a truffle plantation, the Fairies’ Way. Rapunzel’s Garden, the Secret Garden, the Gargantua garden full of giant vegetables (in Rabelais’ novel, Gargantua offers Rivau to Tolmere). And there’s a famous rose garden with over 300 flowers from breeders like David Austin and André Eve.

Along with many people, my favorite sculptures are the giant Wellington boots, but it’s all a matter of taste.

Look out for the special walks gathering edible plants, or book one of their truffle hunting expeditions. Rivau is the closest truffle producer to Paris, so it’s a popular excursion. You search for the black gold, taste it then cook with the chef and finish with a truffle-based lunch. There’s a restaurant and a very good shop.

You can stay here in one of the 12 rooms on a bed and breakfast basis.

Château de Rivau

Château de Rivau to Chinon

Drive: Take the D749 for 11 kms/6 miles and 14 mins to the fortress of Chinon.

Chinon lies on the north bank of the Vienne just 12 kms/7.5 miles before it merges with the Loire. It’s a pretty town with medieval cobbled streets and promenade.

Dominating it all is the formidable fortress…another building with strong English connections. Always a fort, it was mainly the work of Henry Plantaganet, Count of Anjou who was crowned King of England in 1154.

In 1189, it passed to his son Richard the Lionheart, then to King John, whose reputation as King is pretty dire. He was Robin Hood’s enemy, he lost royal rights with Magna Carta (but a good thing for democracy), and in 1204 lost Chinon and with it Touraine and Anjou, part of a vast kingdom that stretched from Scotland to the Pyrenees. 

Step inside the fortress for a glimpse of the life of the Middle Ages. Restored with the emphasis on authenticity, I hope you’ll be as impressed as I was with the Logis Royal, or royal apartments.

There are plenty of activities and it’s a good place for children so don’t be surprised to see very small knights and ladies rushing around with swords…luckily small wooden ones. If you can book a tour in English.

Chinon Fortress

Touraine Wine Country

Sample good wines on this Loire Valley drive from Tours to Saumur; here you’re in the heart of Touraine wine country. Chinon is one of the stars of the local wines. To taste some of the best, visit the Caves Painctes, a network of subterranean tunnels underneath the château that became wine cellars in the 15^th century.

Chinon to the Abbaye de Fontevraud

Drive: Take the D751 for 20 kms/12.5 miles and 22 minutes to the Abbaye de Fontevraud.

The wonderful Romanesque complex of the Abbaye de Fontevraud is not just an architectural gem; it is also intimately bound up with English history. Here are the tombs of the Plantagenet royal family: Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine who died here in 1204, their son Richard the Lionheart and the wife of his brother, King John. Another 11 Plantagenets also lie in ornate tombs here.

The Abbey , the largest in Europe, was founded in 1101 by the hermit Robert d’Arbrissel for both monks and nuns and was run for 700 years by a series of formidable women. Mostly royal born they governed the monks’ priory as well as the communities of nuns and lay sisters.

The buildings are immense, built to house the monks and nuns and also the sick and prostitutes and a leper colony. The Abbey became a prison in 1804 and it continued as such until 1963. If you want to discover life as a prisoner here, read Jean Genet’s Miracle of the Rose.

You see the church, the cloisters, chapterhouse with its 16^th-century murals and the vast refectory with the restored Romanesque kitchen with 21 chimneys.

The Abbey is now the Centre Culturel de l’Ouest, western France’s cultural center and a hugely important center of medieval archeology. It has a wide range of activities; details from the Abbey or Tourist Office.

The opening of the Modern Art Museum is a major event. A donation of 600 works from Martine and Leon Cligman and 300 from the state make up a truly great new collection with works by the likes of Degas, Delaunay, Juan Gris and Toulouse-Lautrec. It was scheduled to open in 2019 but building works and Covid-19 have contributed to the delay.

Fontevraud also has an excellent contemporary hotel and restaurant, so consider staying here.

Abbey of Fontevraud

Fontevraud Abbey to Saumur

Drive: 16 kms/10 miles taking around 20 minutes from here into Saumur, a delightful town. Discover more about it and where to stay in Loire Valley Towns and Cities (see link below).

You’re at the end of the Loire Valley drive from Tours to Saumur. All that remains it the part from Saumur to the Atlantic Ocean and Saint-Nazaire.

More Information

Loire Valley Towns – Information on the major Loire Towns including where to stay and how to get to each one

Loire Valley Drive in Sections

From Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers
From Nevers to Orléans
From Orléans to Blois
From Tours to Saumur
From Saumur to Saint Nazaire and the Atlantic Ocean

French Atlantic Coast

Major Rivers of France

Loire à Velo Route – Where to stay, how to book and attractions to see on this great cycle route

Budget Hotel Chains give you some good options on cheap (and good) accommodation in all parts of France

Departments of France

New Regions of France

The post Loire Valley from Tours to Saumur appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

This eastern part of the Loire Valley drive from Nevers to Orléans is relatively unknown. In fact it’s not officially the Loire Valley until Sully-sur-Loire which marks the start of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This world-famous section runs along the river for 280kms/174miles down to Chalonnes-sur-Loire in Anjou.

This is a peaceful route, taking small roads that run between the river and the canal up to the city of Joan of Arc. Pretty small towns hug the river bank and you pass through some of the great Loire wine-producing regions. You’ll see some charming châteaux that you probably haven’t seen before. It makes for a delightful road trip.

I hope you enjoy this Loire Valley drive from Nevers in Burgundy into the river valley to Orléans.

Loire Valley Routes

Drive the Loire Valley Fast Route

Leave Nevers, one of the larger Loire Valley towns and take the A77 which has tolls. It’s a distance of 166 kms/103 miles and takes 2 hrs 8 mins from Nevers to Orléans.

Drive the Loire Valley Scenic Route

From Nevers to Orléans it is 183 kms/113 miles taking 3 hours 16 minutes without stops but taking in all the attractions (though not counting your time at each visit).

The Scenic Route by the Canal

This scenic route takes you on a lovely small road that runs between the river and the Canal Latéral. Stop for a while and watch the barges make their slow and stately way northwards.

One year we travelled this route in midwinter. There was an ice storm and we stopped to look at the trees covered in white, looking like lace against the blue sky. It was incredibly cold and incredibly clear. We stayed there for ten minutes marveling at the quiet. Then we began to hear a crackling sound. Peering down the canal we saw a large black barge making its way very slowly along the canal, breaking the ice as it went. It’s one of those moments I have never forgotten.

In summer the road is busier but only with local traffic, ignoring the crowds roaring along the N7.

From Nevers to La Charité-sur-Loire

Drive: From Nevers take the D40 and D12 west out of the city to Cours-les-Barres then the D45 north with the Loire to your right. It’s a drive of 32 kms/20 miles taking around 35 mins.

Drive over the 1520 stone bridge (renovated in 2018 happily) to the right bank of the Loire into La Charité-sur-Loire. The small streets by the quayside lead up to Notre-Dame church, once a regular haven for pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compestela in Spain, now a great walking route. History took its toll on the historic buildings and today, though restored, it’s difficult to imagine the 200 monks who lived here in the Middle Ages.

From La Charité-sur-Loire into Wine Country

Drive: 18 kms/11 miles. 20 mins. Cross back over the bridge and take the D7 along the river.

Vineyards producing the great Loire valley wines climb the banks.  Cross the river again and you’re in Pouilly-sur-Loire and the Pouilly wine region in the Nièvre department. The area has produced wine since the 5^th century but it was those canny monks who developed the vineyards in the 12^th century. Stop here to taste and buy the famous Pouilly Fumé and Chasselas wines.

From Pouilly to Sancerre

Drive: 15 kms/9 miles. 20 mins. Cross back and take the D59 then the D206 up to pretty Sancerre.

This is the second of the well known and much loved Loire valley wines. While you’re here, buy the other great Sancerre delicacy, crottin de chavignol cheese.

On to Briare

Drive: 47 kms/29 miles. 45 mins. The D907 takes you across the river and up beside the Loire to Briare.

At Briare the Pont Canal, the longest bridge canal in Europe, joins up the Canal de Briare with the Canal Latéral à la Loire.

A lovely diversion to the Château de la Bussière

Drive: From Briare take the N7 north on a drive of 14 kms/9 miles taking 15 mins.

The Château de la Bussière is another less well known château that is a real find. Originally a 12^th-century fortress, the castle was later completely transformed into a private dwelling. In 1814, the Chasseval family bought the castle; their descendants opened it to the public in 1962.

There’s plenty to see: stables, orangery and a delightful potager (kitchen garden). It’s been called the Château des Pecheurs (the fisherman’s château) for its eccentric collection of freshwater fishing tackle and the coelecanth, an extraordinary prehistoric fish that can live for up to 60 years. What you learn in a visit to a French château is quite remarkable.

Where to Stay

The elegant bed and breakfast Domaine de la Thiau is just north of Briare. By the river, it offers double rooms and suites in an 18^th-century house plus 4 gîtes to rent by the week. Breakfast is taken in the conservatory and dinner is offered as well.

Time for Gien

Drive: From Briare take the D43 south west on a drive of 14 kms/9 miles taking 16 mins.

Cross the 16^th-century stone bridge into pretty Gien where its charming 15^th-century streets bear witness to its importance from the Middle Ages onwards.

There are two main attractions here. Make your way to the château where the young Louis XIV and his mother Anne of Austria hid during the Frondes revolts against taxation from 1635 to 1659. Today it houses the Musée Internationale de la Chasse et de la nature. The museum is mainly about hunting which is entirely apt in the Loire Valley where Kings of France have hunted for centuries. The French Revolution gave all rural inhabitants the right to hunt and it’s a freedom vehemently guarded today.

Gien may be small but it has always been a major producer of fine china. Visit the Musée de la Faïencerie for its collection. The attached factory shop has good discounted china on sale.

More about discount shopping and more factory shops.

Gien to Sully-sur-Loire

Drive: Take the D952 to Sully-sur-Loire. It’s a drive of 24 kms/15 miles taking 25 mins.

The Château of Sully has always been one of my favorites. I first saw it when we had just bought our house in the Auvergne (a long time ago!) and Sully was our first stop on our first journey. The medieval fortress stands full square in its moat. Lit up at night it’s a magical site.

The Loire Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site starts here in Sully-sur-Loire. It takes in the middle course of the river for a 280 km/173 mile stretch from here to Chalonnes in Anjou.

Drive the Loire Valley to Orléans

From Sully to Orléans take the D2060 for 19 kms/11 miles taking 20 mins. It runs along by the river to Châteauneuf-sur-Loire.

There’s a château (naturally), a lovely park, and the Musée de la marine de la Loire. It tells the story of France’s famous river, the people who earned their livings on it and the enormous trade the river carried up and down to Paris and beyond.

Orléans

Orléans is a delightful town. The capital of the Loiret department, it’s the start of the next trip down the Loire Valley westwards to the sea.

Guide to Orléans

The next part of the drive take you from Orléans to Blois.

Then it will be on to Tours, Saumur, Angers, Nantes and St-Nazaire where the Loire finishes its journey to the glorious Atlantic coast and the sea.

More Information

Loire Valley Towns and Cities including attractions, places to stay and how to get to each one

Loire Valley Drive in Sections

From Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers
From Orléans to Blois
From Blois to Tours
From Tours to Saumur
From Saumur to Saint Nazaire and the Atlantic Ocean

French Atlantic Coast

Major Rivers of France

Loire à Velo Route – Where to stay, how to book and attractions to see on this great cycle route

Budget Hotel Chains give you some good options on cheap (and good) accommodation in all parts of France

Departments of France

New Regions of France

The post Loire Valley from Nevers to Orléans appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

This Loire Valley drive from Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers is the first part of the Loire Valley adventure along the river’s meandering route to the Atlantic. The Loire rises near my house in the Auvergne. But here it’s a modest river, slowly gathering its strength as it wiggles its way north west. At first it passes through small villages where all it does is keep the local communal washing places busy and water the pastures of cows and sheep.

It’s not until Nevers that the Loire becomes a major commercial river.

The main towns and cities in the Loire Valley running east to west start with Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne where the river is a modest burble. Then it goes through Nevers, Orléans, Blois, Tours, Saumur, Angers, Nantes and St-Nazaire where the Loire finishes its epic journey to the sea.

Loire Valley Routes from Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers

Fast Route: 280 kms/174 miles taking 3hr 40 minutes. It’s on the Autoroute N102 which has tolls of €6.40. Or take the A71 (no tolls) which is a journey of 307 kms/191 miles taking 3 hrs 50 mins.

Scenic Route: 367 kms/229 miles taking around 6 hours. It is possible to do all the attractions in one day though you might find you have to cut some a little short or bypass others.

Start the Loire Valley Drive at Le Puy-en-Velay

Le Puy-en-Velay is my nearest big town in France. You can’t miss its two main features as you approach. The religious statues and buildings rising out of the town on volcanic pinnacles give the town a theatricality out of all proportion to its fame. It’s the start of one of the most popular and best organized pilgrim routes to St James of Compostela in Spain.

Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Étienne

Drive: 118 kms/73 miles taking 1 hr 40 mins

From Le Puy take the D103 that runs mainly beside the still small Loire river. It’s a pretty drive so if time is not important, take the even smaller D42 up to D46 at La Roche/Bas en Bessat. You continue up the ever growing Loire, turning right onto the D25 to Unieux which becomes the D3 into Saint-Étienne.

The road takes you beside the Loire. It’s a delightful journey and much nicer than the main fast autoroute. There are no spectacular sights to stop at, just a drive through the Auvergne with its wide open spaces and rolling hills.

Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne was an industrial city and the centre of the French arms making business from 1665 to 2001. La Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne occupied a huge area with numerous industrial buildings.

Today the buildings have been renovated and transformed in this design city. So visit the Musée d’Art et Industrie which displays the city’s three main industries: weapons, bicycles and textiles. The Cité de Design is a prestigious design university with good temporary exhibitions. The Musée de la Mine takes you down into a different and rather grim world.  

The Musée d’Art Moderne is a real eye opener. It was the first regional museum of modern art and has a huge collection.

If you’re there for a meal make sure you eat at the up-to-the-minute La FABuleuse cantine.

A city of art and design, Saint-Étienne has an important bi-annual Design Festival starting in August. A surprising find and well worth the detour!

From Saint-Étienne to St Pierre de la Roche

Drive: 67 kms/42 miles taking 1 hr 20mins. Drive north into the glorious Gorges de la Loire on the D1082 with the river on your left.

It’s a lovely drive to a château you probably don’t know about. I didn’t until fairly recently and it’s a real find.

The Château de la Roche stands on an island, its stone defences mirrored in the surrounding waters. Stop to look at it; its strategic position gave it huge importance from the 13^th century onwards. If you have enough time (and good French) the guided tour is dramatic and fun, led by the proprietors of the château.

St Pierre de la Roche to Roanne and another city stop on the Loire Valley from Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers drive

Drive: 24 kms/15 miles taklng 30 mins

Keeping to the scenic route, go back to the junction with the little D56 road which winds its way along the Loire. You’ll pass by Roanne, another city that is largely ignored by visitors unless you’re from Nuneaton and Bedworth (which Roanne is twinned with).

But worth a stop for its port, the old quarter, its superb Fine Arts Museum which houses one of the best Egyptology collections in France. (If you’re a fan of Egyptology, get to the new Champollion museum in Isère. It’s one of the many new museums and attractions opening this year.) And if you’re a gourmet, book at the 3-Michelin star Troisgros restaurant in Roanne.

Roanne to Digoin

Drive: 56 kms/35 miles taking 56 mins. From Roanne take the D482 with the Loire still on your left. The road becomes the D982 after Iguerande.

You’ll lose sight of the river a few kilometres on at St Martin du Lac. The road takes you to Digoin where the Canal du Centre joins the Canal Latéral à la Loire.

Digoin to Decize

Drive: 67 kms/42 miles taking 1hr 2 mins. The D979 runs beside the river, past St-Aubin-sur-Loire with its Trappist Abbey de Sept-Fons which has been inhabited by Cistercian monks since 1132.

Then Bourbon-Lancy appears just off the D979 on the D973. The town is worth a stop for its walled medieval area dating back to 1495. Standing on a hill, its wooden frame-houses crowd the small streets.

Bourbon-Lancy is a spa town and its thermal springs have treated visitors for centuries, starting with the likes of Cardinal Richelieu, James II of England and Catherine de Medici. and continuing on to today’s health-conscious visitors.

Decize

Decize, standing on a rocky island in the Loire, is a major destination in the central France canal system. Here the Canal du Nivernais joins the Canal Latéral à la Loire. Decize is a boarding place for barge and small boat trips on the river from the Vieille Loire quay. Hire a boat from the excellent small company, le boat. From here you can go north up the Nivernais Valley, west to Nevers or south to Roanne.

Once fortified to defend its strategic position, the ramparts, walls and towers of the city offer a good walk. They once enclosed the old castle of the Counts of Nevers. A clock tower and the Saint-Aré church dating back to the 7^th-century complete the tour.

The final part of the Loire Valley Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers drive

From Decize it’s just a delightful 35 kms/22 miles drive on the D981 beside the Loire as it makes it way up to Nevers. It will take you around 40 minutes.

Nevers is one of the Loire Valley’s great towns. Here’s more on Nevers including what to see and where to stay.

So it’s the end of the first part taking you along the Loire Valley from Le-Puy-en-Velay to Nevers. The next Loire Valley drive takes you from Nevers up to the lovely city of Orléans.

Nevers Tourist Office

More Information

Loire Valley Towns and Cities including attractions, places to stay and how to get to each one

Loire Valley Drive in Sections

From Nevers to Orléans
From Orléans to Blois
From Blois to Tours
From Tours to Saumur
From Saumur to Saint Nazaire and the Atlantic Ocean

French Atlantic Coast

Major Rivers of France

Loire à Velo Route – Where to stay, how to book and attractions to see on this great cycle route

Budget Hotel Chains give you some good options on cheap (and good) accommodation in all parts of France

Departments of France

New Regions of France

The post Loire Valley from Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Loire valley from Blois to Tours has real treasures to see. Take in the two spectacular châteaux fought over by the rivals for the love, and bed, of King Henri II, the final home of Leonardo da Vinci and romantic gardens attached to vineyards. But what about the smaller less well known sights? Have you visited the National Tomato Conservatory? You’ll find it at a château that offers bed and breakfast and has a Tomato Bar.

Loire Valley Routes from Blois to Tours

Fast Route: Blois to Tours is 66 kms/41 miles and takes around 50 mins. The A10 has tolls of €5.90.

Scenic Route: Blois to Tours is 160 kms/98 miles taking around 3 hrs 10 mins. I have not included the time spent on visits to the attractions.

Blois to Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire

Drive: The D952 takes you beside the stately Loire river. It’s a short 18 km/11 miles, 18-min journey to one of the great beauties of the river, the Château of Chaumont-sur-Loire.

The Château stands overlooking the river; old houses along its banks cling to the ground below the walls. Dating from the 10^th century, it was rebuilt in the Renaissance and the 18^th century.

Chaumont was one of those châteaux that were tossed around like toys by their royal owners. In 1550 Catherine de Medicis, wife of King Henri II, bought Chaumont. It was a profitable business, with numerous farms and tolls from the river traffic but it wasn’t the most beautiful château in this part of the Valley of the Kings (or in this case Valley of the Queens). In fact it wasn’t a patch on nearby Chenonceau.

Down in the Cher valley, Diane de Poitiers was enjoying, and enhancing, the beautiful château which had been given to her by her lover, the King.  When Henri died in 1559, Catherine de Medicis who was not a lady to take kindly to any affront, forced Diane de Poitiers to exchange her beloved Chenonceau for Chaumont.

Chaumont is beautiful, though much of the interior was updated to the heavy 19^th-century décor by the Broglie family owners. You can see some of the Renaissance rooms, particularly the splendid council chamber.

It’s the gardens which are the true inspiration, transformed into an English park by the Broglie family. Every year, the château hosts a spectacular Festival des Jardins, displaying gardens by contemporary designers.

Chaumont to the Château de Chenonceau

Drive: Go south on the D114 and the D115 then turn onto the D80 down to Chenonceau for 26 kms/16 miles for around 30 mins.

However many pictures you might have seen, there’s still a wonderment about your first sight of the fairytale Château de Chenonceau.The lovely building sits reflected in the river Cher, one of the main tributaries of the Loire.

A long gallery spans the river. This was the place for Catherine de Medicis’ dissolute parties.

The gardens outside were cultivated by both the Queen and her rival. The Diane de Poitiers parterre is protected from the rising waters of the river Cher by raised terraces. Small hedges of box and laurel line the flower beds, set in strict geometric patterns. Catherine de Medicis has fine panels of lawn around a circular basin opposite the west façade.

The décor is rich; the paintings splendid and the kitchens give just the right kind of upstairs downstairs atmosphere. It’s the only château in the world with its own floral workshop so expect superb flowers and arrangements from Jean-François Boucher.

Check for summer evenings when you can walk through the lit up gardens, listening to classical music and imagining yourself back in the Renaissance.

Try to go out of the main season and the most popular times. Chenonceau is the most visited château in France after Versailles.

Château de Chenonceau to Château de Nitray

Drive: Take the D976 along the Cher for 20 kms/12 miles taking around 20 mins.

The Château de Nitray dates from the 15^th and 16^th centuries. A visit takes in the east wing of this white stone building, the courtyard and an intriguing dovecote.

But it’s the vineyard most people come to see (that forms part of the visit). The 10-hectare area has been producing wine for nearly 3 centuries. You see the vineyard, learn about winemaking here and it all finishes with a tasting. You can also take an hour-long bike tour of the surrounding countryside.

Château de Nitray to Amboise

Drive: Take the D83 for 14 kms/9 miles for around 20 mins to Amboise.

Amboise is a pretty market town, once the seat of power and home of Kings in the 15th and 16th centuries.

In 1615 in Lyon François was given the walking mechanical lion that Leonardo da Vinci had invented to celebrate an alliance between France and Florence. Impressed and intrigued the French King invited the inventor to Amboise. The Renaissance genius made his way from Lombardy to Amboise in 1516. He brought with him three paintings including the Mona Lisa which he continued to work on in his last years. 

Château Royal d’Amboise

The Château Royal d’Amboise was rebuilt by Charles VIII in the late 15^th century. He loved his childhood home and when he married Anne of Brittany, he added a Gothic wing. But he didn’t live long to enjoy his palace, dying at the age of 28. The new king, Louis XII preferred Blois leaving his son, the future François I here in relative safety.

The château has quite a history, tied up with the notorious Ducs de Guise who took the catholic cause in the French Wars of Religion. In 1560 a group of Hugenot conspirators arrived in Amboise hoping to take the young heir, François II and persuade him to pursue a more tolerant religious course. They were ambushed in the forest outside Amboise by the Guise faction, tried in a sham trial in the château.

Some drowned in the Loire below the château; others were beheaded in the grounds. But to make the point, many of them were hung from the château’s balconies, visible from the town and surrounding countryside.

The château is worth a visit, though it’s less spectacular inside than many Loire châteaux. But make sure you explore the underground passageways with their dungeons, and stroll around the gardens.

Clos-Lucé – Leonardo da Vinci’s Home

The more interesting, and intimate house to visit is the Château du Clos-Lucé where Leonardo lived for the three years before his death in 1519. Invited by the King, he was appointed primier peinctre et ingenieur et architecte du Roy (The King’s First Painter, Engineer and Architect). He brought with him three paintings: the Mona Lisa, Saint John the Baptist and the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne.

The red brick house is delightful with rooms that you can imagine living in. Now a museum to Leonardo, it also has reproductions of some of his machines and inventions in the house and in the gardens. Spring 2021 sees the opening of a new gallery with 17 paintings projected onto the walls and a new multimedia gallery. It makes the great Renaissance man’s achievements even more extraordinary.

Amboise to the Château de Valmer

Drive: Take the D952 along the river then turn onto the D78 north for 15 kms/9.5 miles. 18 mins.

The Château de Valmer is another place that you may not have heard of. It’s well worth the detour for its spectacular gardens and its vineyard. Walk through a series of gardens on 8 levels. They’re all in a huge park where statues, columns and fountains take you back to the Renaissance. There’s also a troglodyte chapel dating from 1524 that was dug down into the turf.

There’s a great view from the High Terrace over all the gardens, the Grand Canal, the vineyard and the Brenne valley. There are glorious flower gardens for an all-summer experience. The conservatory vegetable garden keeps to its original 15^th-century plan. There are espaliers of fruit trees, high walls with towers that were once used to house the gardeners and a donkey, vegetables and fruit trees from blackcurrants to raspberries.

Then there’s the 35-hectare vineyard, run by the 5^th generation of the family who bought the estate in1888. Check out the website for cellar weekend visits.

Loire Valley from Blois to Tours takes in Vouvray Wines

Drive: Take the D46 for 10 kms/6 miles. 12 mins.

Vouvray is the centre of a great wine-producing region. There are plenty of wineries to visit in and around the town (and if you’ve visited the Château de Valmer you’ve tasted some Vouvray wines already).

From Vouvray to Château de la Bourdaisière

Drive: Take the D751 over the Loire and east for 10 kms/6 miles for around 16 mins.

The Château de la Bourdaisière is another delightful surprise. Once owned by the Broglie family who through the generations have owned so many châteaux in the Loire Valley, it now offers a great bed and breakfast.

But more unusually, it has a fabulous kitchen garden, famous for its 700 kinds of tomatoes. The National Tomato Conservatory is in the 19^th-century vegetable garden where some 180 different species of dahlias also bloom. Watch out for the excellent Tomato Festival, usually on the second weekend in September for some revelations of this remarkable plant. Or try some at their Tomato Bar.

Finish the Loire Valley Blois to Tours Drive: Château de la Bourdaisière to Tours

Drive: Take the D140 and D142 along the Loire into Tours. It’s an 18 km/11 mile drive taking around 25 mins.

Tours is a delightful city to visit, with good places to stay. Take a good hotel, the Loire Valley Blois to Tours drive is a long day.

More Information

Loire Valley Towns – Information on the major Loire Towns including where to stay and how to get to each one

Loire Valley Drive from Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers, the start of the epic journey

Loire Valley Drive from Orléans to Blois

Major Rivers of France

Loire à Velo Route – Where to stay, how to book and attractions to see on this great cycle route

French Atlantic Coast

The post Loire Valley from Blois to Tours appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

When you drive along the Loire Valley from Orléans to Blois, you’re driving through some of France’s most colorful history.

This is the Valley of the Kings, the hunting ground for countless monarchs. And they hunted not just animals; people were just as expendable.

The Loire Valley is a place of intrigue where Kings betrayed Queens, mistresses betrayed lovers, and dukes, marquises and counts cheerfully did away with their enemies. It’s a great place to visit.

Make sure you visit some of the gardens; they are glorious and very different, running from formal with those well-behaved paths and parterres to a delightful cottage-style garden with ducks and hens clucking around happily.

TIP: There are many châteaux here, so be careful. You can get châteauxed-out quite easily. If you’re visiting in the summer, try to pick your time to avoid the crowds. Go either early or late in the day. The French all stop for lunch so you could skip lunch, visit a château and bring a picnic to eat in the grounds.

Loire Valley Routes from Orléans to Blois

Fast Route: Orléans to Blois is 63 kms/39 miles and takes around 55 mins. Part of it is on the A10 which has tolls of €6.10.

Scenic Route: Orleans to Blois is 88 kms/54 miles and takes 2 hours, not counting stops at attractions.

This is a very short stretch of the Loire Valley drive. But this is also a stretch with some of the major sights to visit so I thoroughly recommend following this, seeing as many as you can and staying in Blois.

The hugely popular Loire à Velo cycle route goes directly between Orléans and Blois along roads and paths beside the river.

First stop on the Loire Valley drive from Orléans to Blois: Meung-sur-Loire

Drive: 19kms/12 miles. 32 mins.

From Orléans take the D2152 that runs beside the river to the delightful village of Meung-sur-Loire where little streams run between half-timbered houses.  The name of the village might be familiar; it was Inspector Maigret’s country home and appears in Dumas’ The Three Musketeers.

Meung-sur-Loire is always worth a stop but try to make it on a Sunday for its market.

The Château de Meung has a long history as the palace of the Bishops of Orléans. It held its important position from the 12^th century to the Revolution, where bishops welcomed Kings.

The château is ‘two-sided’. One façade is medieval and looks grimly formidable. Abandoned by the bishops, it was transformed into a fortress. Occupied by the English during the 15th-century Hundred Years War, Meuns was taken back from the English by Joan of Arc in 1429. The other 18th-century side is much prettier, rebuilt by the ecclesiastical owners.

There’s a full events calendar during the summer so have a look at the website. You’ll find quite a mix: Joan of Arc’s soldiers, Napoleon’s troops, picnics by candlelight and more.

The Jardins de Roquelin

Drive: Cross the river and take the D18 to Jardins de Roquelin (1 km).

If you love roses, the Jardins de Roquelin is the place to visit. Just three minutes from the centre of Meung-sur-Loire, the gardens are family run. Chickens cluck around the garden in front of the old stone buildings and peacocks sit high up in the trees (how did they get there?)

The gardens are at their most glorious in May and June when over 500 rose varieties fill the air with sweet sights and scents.

Meung-sur-Loire to Beaugency

Drive: 8 kms/5 miles. 12 mins.

Before I heard the 15^th century round that goes Orléans, Beaugency, Notre-Dame de Cléry, Vendôme I didn’t know about medieval Beaugency. Like many others I was too busy making my way to the blockbusters like the Château de Chambord. So what a lovely surprise when we stopped there one year.

There’s an 11^th-century tower, a 12^th-century bridge which for centuries offered the only river crossing between Orléans and Blois, a 15^th-century château and Renaissance architecture.

And like so many places along the Loire, Beaugency has a place in English history. In 1152 the Council of Beaugency annulled the marriage of Louis VII of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine in the Romanesque abbey church of Notre-Dame. She married Henry II of England, bringing an enormous part of southwest France to the English crown. It was the start of a centuries-old conflict as English and French Kings fought over ownership of much of France.

Château de Chambord

Drive: From Beaugency, cross the river on the D925 then take the D951 until the turning to the D112 to the Château de Chambord. 24 kms/15 miles. 28 mins.

You arrive on the road taken by King François I in the 16th century. The Château de Chambord which started as a hunting lodge is in the heart of the forest that provided the Kings of France with the ancient thrill of the chase. Chambord is the big daddy of all the châteaux – enormous and hugely impressive particularly seen over the surrounding water.

It’s the chimneys you notice first. 365 of them sit on top of the roofs, heating the 440 plus rooms, 85 staircases and countless corridors. Despite its undoubted magnificence, François didn’t like the place. He spent just 42 days in the building that he had hoped would make him ‘one of the greatest builders in the universe’.

Subsequent kings attempted to make it a bit more comfortable, creating smaller rooms from the vast echoing stone spaces. But it never became a home; France’s monarchs preferred Fontainebleau.

Chambord’s Attractions

On the second floor the Museum of Hunting explores the royal obsession. The 17th-century tapestries of Diana, goddess of the hunt and the story of Meleager, the huntsman in Ovid’s Metamorphoses are stunning. But even these huge important tapestries that were symbols of great wealth in France weren’t enough to warm the vast cold rooms.

There’s plenty to see here from the splendid interiors to the formal gardens, vineyards and stables.

TIP: For something different book a night at the Relais de Chambord. The boutique hotel is in a separate building, with a modern extension. It’s luxurious, has great view of the château and is expensive but where else can you feel like François I?

Chambord to Château de Cheverny

Drive: 18 kms/11 miles. 22 mins.

Take the leafy D102 south through the great hunting forest of the French Kings as you leave the Loire river and drop down to Cheverny in Loir-et-Cher.

The Château de Cheverny is a Renaissance beauty built between 1604 and 1634 and then brought bang up to date in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. It’s a family favorite, particularly for Tintin fans. Hergé chose it for the future château of Moulinsart and it appeared for the first time in 1942 in Le Secret de La Licorne.

See the exhibition, walk the gardens which are splendid and be reminded of the great sport of hunting with the sounds of the château’s own hounds.

Cheverny to Château de Beauregard

Drive: D956. 10 kms/6 miles. 13 mins.

Château de Beauregard is another château that isn’t known to lots of people. Built in the forest of Russy it was one of the many hunting lodges of François I.

Its main claim to fame is the long portrait gallery where you walk down a long march of history. 327 portraits of kings, queens and great figures include all of France’s kings from Philippe VI (1328-50) to Louis XIII (1610-43). You’ll also see portraits of other international figures of the day like Francis Drake, Anne Boleyn and Charles V of Spain, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Afterwards stroll through the gardens to the sunken Jardin des Portraits.

From Beauregard to the end of this Loire Valley Orléans to Blois drive

Drive: A quick 9 km/4.5 miles, 12 min drive takes you back over the Loire into Blois.

The old town of Blois is lovely to wander through. Pick up any of the four trail maps from the tourist office for walks taking you over the river, to sections of Renaissance town houses, old streets around the château and Blois’ churches and abbeys. It’s a great town to stay in at the end of the Loire Valley Orléans to Blois drive.

Check out the next stage of the Loire Valley journey: Loire Valley drive from Blois to Tours

More Information

Loire Valley Towns and Cities including attractions, places to stay and how to get to each one

Loire Valley Drive in Sections

From Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers
From Nevers to Orléans
From Blois to Tours
From Tours to Saumur
From Saumur to Saint Nazaire and the Atlantic Ocean

French Atlantic Coast

Major Rivers of France

Loire à Velo Route – Where to stay, how to book and attractions to see on this great cycle route

Budget Hotel Chains give you some good options on cheap (and good) accommodation in all parts of France

Departments of France

New Regions of France

The post Loire Valley from Orléans to Blois appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

Loire Valley towns and cities offer so much. You’ll discover stately cathedrals and churches, unusual attractions, good hotels and accommodation of all kinds. The Loire Valley is known as the ‘Garden of France’ so you know there’ll be plenty of great restaurants and bistros, not to mention the Loire Valley wines.

And of course, in the UNESCO World Heritage section of the Loire Valley, the glorious châteaux for which the Loire Valley is famous are all worth a visit.

When you hear about the Loire River, you think of the Loire Valley in central France. But the river stretches so much further than this short but fabulous section.

I have taken a few liberties here and have called the whole Loire river the Loire Valley because I wanted to include the first major town the river goes through which is very close to my house in the Auvergne. I love discovering different river sources. Last year I went to the source of the Allier and the Loire. This year if it’s possible, I plan to visit the source of the Dordogne, the Tarn and the Lot. Visiting the source of a river adds to its fascination. You’ve seen where it is born born and for me it makes me determined to follow it to its final destination into the ocean. So please bear with my slight deception here.

This article takes in nine towns on the course of the Loire river from east to west. You’ll be familiar with some of the towns, but I hope others will inspire you to visit.

The main Loire Valley towns start with Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne where the river is modest. Then it goes through Nevers, Orléans, Blois, Tours, Saumur, Angers, Nantes and St-Nazaire where the Loire finishes its journey to the sea.

Le-Puy-en-Velay

Le Puy-en-Velay, the first of the Loire Valley towns and cities, is very near my house in France so I am particularly fond of this strange place. You can’t miss its main features as you approach. The religious statues and buildings sit on volcanic pinnacles that rise up from the streets and give the town a theatricality out of all proportion to its fame.

Three Landmarks

Climb 134 steps up a steep pedestrianized hill past lace shops, small restaurants and cafés to reach the Cathédral Notre-Dame. Just be thankful we’ve moved on from the Middle Ages when pilgrims went up the slope on their knees.

Just next to it the Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe stands on an impossibly sharp pinnacle. It’s a much stepper climb up 268 steps. But it’s worth it for the fabulous view over the town and the surrounding hills.

The red terracotta statue of Notre-Dame de France is something different. It was built in 1860 from 213 canons seized from the Russians by the French at the siege of Sebastapol in 1855 during the Crimean War.

Don’t miss Le Puy’s magical illuminations in the summer and at Christmas. And if you’re here in the third week in September, you’ll catch the great Renaissance festival, the Fête du Roi de l’Oiseau.

Le Puy is the start of one of the most popular, and best organized pilgrim routes to St James of Compostela in Spain.

Le Puy-en-Velay is the capital of the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne, a superb dramatic region of France and it’s very little known. Well worth a visit!

Where to Stay in Le Puy

In Le Puy
Le Bristol is a delightful, old-fashioned hotel in the centre of town with a good restaurant.

Outside Le Puy

For the best value, simple décor, superb views and a meal fit for a king (or a hungry pilgrim), book at La Grangette. This bed and breakfast just beyond St Pryvat d’Allier is a delight and if you’re walking and without transport, the welcoming owners will pick you up in the evening and drop you off the next day at a nearby village.
I have to confess: the owners are friends of mine. But it’s not just me who recommends La Grangette; many of the guests return again and again.

Le Puy-en-Velay Tourist Office

How to get to Le Puy-en-Velay from Paris

By train: There are several routes by train from Paris to Le-Puy-en-Velay. All of them involve changes.

Via Lyon: TGV trains leave from Gare de Lyon taking 1 hr 57mins to Lyon Part Dieu. The connecting train from Lyon to Le-Puy-en-Velay takes around 2 hrs. Total journey time around 4 hrs 30 mins.

Via St Etienne: Trains leave Gare de Lyon taking from 2hrs 54 mins to get to St Etienne Chateaucreux. The connecting train from St Etienne to Le-Puy-en-Velay takes around 1 hr 30 mins. Total journey time around 5hrs 50 mins.

Via Clermont-Ferrand: Intercity trains leave from Paris Bercy Station taking from 3 hours 28 mins. At Clermont Ferrand you have to change onto a TER express train to St Georges D’Aurac, taking around 1 hr 15 mins.
At St Georges d’Aurac you have to change again onto a local train taking around 50 minutes to Le Puy-en-Velay. Total journey time 5 hr 54 mins. This is the most scenic route but you need time and patience.

By car: Le Puy-en-Velay is 543 kilometers (338 miles) from Paris and takes around 5 hrs 30 mins.

Nevers in Burgundy

Nevers is a strange mix of a city located where the Loire and the Nièvre rivers meet in Burgundy. Since the 17^th century it’s been famous for its faïence but it’s also a city tied to Bernadette of Lourdes, the saint born in 1844. There’s a concrete modern church dedicated to her, but of greater interest is the Espace Bernadette. Located in the convent of St-Gildard where the saint died, it tells the story of her life. Nevers isn’t one of the Great Sacred Sites of France but pilgrims come to see her small, embalmed body in its glass-fronted shrine.

Nevers is part of a collection of Villes Sanctuaires, or Sanctuary Towns. It’s also the capital of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.

Start with the glorious Cathedral of St-Cyr. Built from the 12^th to 16^th centuries with Romanesque and Gothic features, it’s also known for its amazing gargoyles.  

The Musée de la Faïence et des Beaux Arts in the restored Abbaye de Notre Dame shows world-famous pieces from the 16^th to the 20^th centuries. Excellent multimedia presentations take you further into the art.

The hugely enjoyable Loire à Vélo route starts just west of Nevers.

Where to Stay in Nevers

The Hôtel de Clèves is a good comfortable choice in the centre of town. It has smart, simple rooms, a friendly welcome and good value prices.

If you fancy a more luxurious bed and breakfast, try the pretty Chateau de Prye. The 18^th-century building is set in the countryside east of Nevers in a fabulous park.

Nevers Tourist Website is run by Burgundy Tourism.

How to get to Nevers from Paris

By train: Intercite trains from Paris Bercy direct to Nevers take 1 hr 56 mins.
TER trains take from 2hs 32 mins.

By car: Nevers is 242 kms (150miles) from Paris and takes around 2 hrs 45 mins.

Orléans

Orléans is one of the major Loire valley towns and cities. It’s a popular starting point for trips around the Loire Valley but it’s a delightful city in its own right and worth a stay. Gracious 18^th– and 19^th-century streets are lined with neo-classical buildings and galleried arcades. It’s a green town with plenty of gardens and the Parc Floral de la Source du Loiret just outside the centre is well worth a visit, particularly in the heat of the summer.  

Think of Orléans and you think of Joan of Arc. During the Hundred Years War (1339-1453) she led the French troops who forced the English to abandon their Siege of Orléans on May 8, 1429. References to the liberation of the city by Joan are seen all over the town, in her statue and in the stained glass windows in the cathedral.

Don’t miss: The Cathedral Sainte-Croix, the Musée des Beaux Arts with its excellent art collection including beautiful 18^th-century pastels, and 20^th-century masters like Picasso, Gauguin and the sculptor Henri Gaudier-Brzeska who was born just outside the city.
The excellent son et lumière nightly show takes place from May to September.

Here’s a detailed Guide to Orléans including places to stay.

How to get to Orléans from Paris

By train: Intercity trains from Gare d’Austerlitz to Orléans take from 1hr 12 mins.

By car: Orléans is 132 kms (82 miles) from Paris and takes around 1 hr 40 mins.

Drive the Loire Valley between Orléans and Blois

If you are driving around the Loire Valley take the Orléans to Blois route which has some glorious châteaux to visit. You may know Chambord but have you visited Beauregard? The Jardins de Roqeuelin are not to be missed and there’s a great Sunday market in the charming riverside town of Meung-sur-Loire.

Blois

The huge Château de Blois dominates this bustling Loire Valley town. It’s right in the centre, surrounded by winding streets that are lined with old houses, cafés, shops and restaurants. Built over four centuries, the château is an extraordinary mix of styles.

It was the grand home of seven kings and ten queens, place of royal intrigue, the scene of the death of the infamous Duc de Guise…You’ll discover more on a trip through the château which was built as an urban palace.

Do book for the summer evening son et lumière (sound and light show). As the sun sets and the shadows gather, the story of the château comes alive. Scenes flicker around the walls, music, the sound of carriages and horses, speeches and more echo in the enclosed courtyard. It’s really ripping good yarn stuff!

There’s also the strange but fascinating House of Magic (Maison de la Magie), full of odd automata and clocks. You can’t miss it. Opposite the château a show takes place on the outside of the house every half hour in summer.

The old town is lovely to wander through. Pick up any of the four maps from the tourist office for walks taking you on trails over the river, to sections of Renaissance town houses, old streets around the château and the churches and abbeys of Blois.

Where to Stay in Blois

The Hôtel Anne de Bretagne is in the centre of town in a leafy square. Simple but pretty, light-filled rooms and a good breakfast in the garden in summer make this a favorite.

If you’re after a chic bed and breakfast, try La Maison de Thomas. It’s in a pedestrianized street and has just 5 rooms. The décor is stylish; the welcome friendly. There’s a good breakfast served in a pretty room and they are well geared up for cyclists.

Blois Tourist Office

How to get to Blois from Paris

By train: Intercity trains from Paris Gare d’Austerlitz to Gare de Blois Chambord take from 1 hr 26 mins.

By car: Blois is around 185km (115 miles) from Paris and the journey takes from 2hrs 10 mins.

Drive the Loire Valley between Blois and Tours

The Loire Valley drive from Blois to Tours takes in more treasures. Two glorious châteaux used as pawns in a power game between a Queen and a Mistress; Leonardo da Vinci’s last home and some wonderful gardens are in store.

Tours

Tours is a big city, located where the Loire and Cher rivers meet in the Val-de-Loire department. Less well known to visitors than other Loire Valley towns and cities, it makes a good base for visiting the châteaux and attractions of the western Loire. 

In the Middle Ages, Tours was an important centre for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It was a starting point for French pilgrims and for others coming from Boulogne, Tournai and the Low Countries who met up here to begin the long walk.

The lovely old town clusters around two different quarters. Around place Plumereau – a lively meeting place full of cafés and bars, the winding streets are lined with old houses, many of them half-timbered. There’s also a Romanesque basilica and cloisters to visit.

The cathedral quarter makes up the second historic area. The Cathédrale St-Gatien is a flamboyant Gothic building dating from the 12^th century. Inside highlights include the 16^th-century tomb of Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne’s two infant children and some stunning stained glass.

There’s a market here every day except on Mondays. Check out the annual markets which include the Foire de Tours (first weekend in May usually but in 2021 Jul 2-11), the Garlic and Basil Fair (July), a huge flea market (first Sunday of September) and a Christmas market (three weeks before Christmas).

Where to Stay in Tours

In Tours: The 2-star Hotel du Manoir is an old-fashioned, comfortable hotel between the cathedral and train station. The 19^th-century townhouse has 20 individually decorated rooms and offers an excellent breakfast in the vaulted cellar.

Outside Tours: You’re in the Loire valley so why not go posh? The Château de Beauvois fits the bill perfectly. In Luynes, just 15kms/9.3 miles from Tours, it’s a peaceful, grand place. It is pricey but worth it if you want to splash out.

Tours Tourist Office

How to get to Tours from Paris

By train: TGV trains from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Tours take from 1 hr 20 mins.

By car: Tours is around 238km (148 miles) from Paris and the journey takes from 2hrs 35 mins.

Saumur

Saumur lies between Chinon and Angers. This Loire Valley town is famous above all for two things: its excellent sparkling wine (you can visit many of the producers), and its military associations.

The Armoured Corps Academy and the French Cavalry Academy are housed in 18^th-century buildings around a dusty square. Once the extensive parade ground, now it’s a car park. The Musée des Blindés is a must for military fans with over 200 armored vehicles from the German Panther to the U.S. M3 Lee Grant. For an expert view on this, check out Mech Traveller’s review.

Horse lovers should visit the National Riding School (Le Cadre Noir) just outside the center where you can see riders training horses for those complicated dressage moves.

The Château de Saumur stands above the town, catching the sun with its fairytale white towers, delicate stone tracery and mullion windows. Built in the second half of the 14^th century by Louis I it was depicted in Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, the 15th-century illuminated manuscript. It houses a museum showing decorative and fine arts from ceramics to those tapestries for which France was so famous.

Saumur Tourist Office

Where to Stay in Saumur

The 18^th-century Château de Beaulieu is just near the banks of the Loire. Built in the 18th century, this grand bed and breakfast has just five bedrooms going from grand to cosy. With a lovely garden and outdoor pool, it’s just 2 kms from the center of town.

Le Londres is a good value and centrally located hotel with an individual approach to its fun decor. Views of the château and a good breakfast make up a very good package.

How to get to Saumur from Paris

By train: TGV trains leave from Paris Montparnasse to Angers St Laud where you have to change onto a TER tain to Saumur. It takes from 2 hrs 44 mins.

By car: Saumur is 321 kms/199 miles from Paris taking from 3hrs 5 mins.

Angers

The capital of the ancient county of Anjou is a wonderful find. Better known to the French than to foreign visitors, Angers has a château and an extraordinary tapestry. And Angers does have a history with England through marriages and wars.  Fifteen Plantagenet monarchs from Anjou ruled England between 1154 and 1485.

The formidable château, more a defensive fortress, was started in 1231. Today it’s relatively intact along its 1-kilometre long wall with its 17 round towers.

But it’s the Tapestry housed inside that will conjure up the horrors of the end of the world. The Apocalypse Tapestry is 100 metres (326 ft) long. The gallery is dimly lit, protecting the fragile dyes of the extraordinary work of art, woven in Paris between 1373 and 1382 for Louis I of Anjou. It displays, in grotesque and often horrifying detail, the last chapter of the New Testament of St. John about the Apocalypse.

Anjou Tourist Office

More about the glorious history of tapestries in France from Bayeux (strictly not a tapestry) to today.

Where to Stay in Angers

In Angers: The Hôtel du Mail is a former 17^th-century convent has gone a long way since its spiritual beginnings. A startling red hallway with a winding staircase, bold colour schemes in a classical setting and a delightful leafy courtyard.

Outside Angers: Château de Briottières is set in 120 acres of parkland. There are ten beautifully decorated rooms in the château, a swimming pool, home cooking to be enjoyed on the terrace and bike rides (bikes provided free) in the nearby forests. Or book the cabin in the woods which comes with its own sauna. It’s 28 kms (17 miles) north of Angers and takes around 38 minutes to drive.

How to get to Angers from Paris

By train: TGV trains from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Angers Saint-Laud take from 1 hr 28 mins.

By car: Tours is around 294km (183 miles) from Paris and the journey takes from 3 hrs 03 mins.

Nantes

When you get to Nantes, you can feel the ocean. The city might be on the Loire but it’s an estuary city, living between land and sea, pulling you towards the west coast and the Atlantic. And it celebrates the estuary each year with its summer-long Voyage à Nantes, a trail of public art works that twists its way from Nantes out towards the sea.

It’s also a fabulous and gracious city which has reinvented itself over the last 15 years or so.

Nantes was once the capital of an independent Brittany. It owed its later 18^th-century fame and fortune to the Atlantic trade to America, exporting Africans into slavery from here. There’s a very moving Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery in an underground passage near the river.

There’s plenty to see in Nantes, starting with the Château des Ducs. Built in the 15^th century it started its life as a great palace then became a prison. Bluebird was incarcerated here then publicly executed in 1440. I’ll leave the other intriguing prisoners for you to discover on your visit.

Most famously, it’s home to Les Machines de L’Ȋle, an innovative, extraordinary company that makes huge machines in the shapes of carousels, elephants. Most recently they have built the Dragon of Calais.

There are lovely old parts, well worth wandering through before sitting in a pavement café watching the world go by. The former industrial part has been mightily spruced up, and don’t miss a trip along the estuary itself.

Where to Stay in Nantes

The 4-star La Pérouse Hotel is chic and contemporary. Light and airy with pastel shades and a very good use of pale woods on the floors and walls, its 1930s furniture fits right into the 46 good sized bedrooms, bar and breakfast room.

L’Hôtel opposite the château is another hotel that has gone for the contemporary look and does it very well. Its 31 rooms are decent sized (try to book one with a great view); there’s a good breakfast, a small outside area and a warm welcome.

Nantes Tourist Office

How to get to Nantes from Paris

By train: TGV trains from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Nantes take from 2 hrs 55 mins and you have to change at the Gare de Nantes onto a regular train to Haluchère-Batignolles station, Nantes.

By car: Nantes is around 385km (240miles) and the journey takes from 3hrs 30 mins.

Saint-Nazaire – The Last of the Loire Valley Towns

Saint-Nazaire is an industrial city with one of the biggest shipyards in the world. The Chantiers de l’Atlantique has built superliners from SS Normandie to RMS Queen Mary 2 and MS Symphony of the Seas, the largest passenger cruise ship in the world. Try to visit it; the sheer scale of what they do is pretty impressive.

Most of the attractions in Saint-Nazaire are industrial such as the Wind Turbine Museum, the submarine Espadon, and Airbus.

Saint-Nazaire is in the Loire-Atlantique department of Brittany.

Saint-Nazaire Tourist Office

Where to Stay in Saint-Nazaire

The top luxury hotels in Saint-Nazaire are away from the industrial centre at La Baule-Escoublac. Try the Hôtel Le Castel Marie-Louise, a Barrières group and Relais & Châteaux Hotel with a Michelin star restaurant and all the luxury a 5-star hotel offers.

If you’re on a more modest budget and want to stay near the sea and visit Saint-Nazaire for the day, try Le Manoir des Quatre Saisons at La Turballe on the sea. It’s a 26 kms/ miles, 26 minute drive into Saint-Nazaire.

How to get to Saint-Nazaire from Paris

By train: TGV trains from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Saint-Nazaire take from 2 hrs 52 mins.

By car: Nantes is around 438 kms (272 miles) from Paris and the journey takes from 4hrs 21 mins.

More Information

Loire Valley Drive in Sections

From Le Puy-en-Velay to Nevers
From Nevers to Orléans
From Orléans to Blois
From Blois to Tours
From Tours to Saumur
From Saumur to Saint Nazaire and the Atlantic Ocean

French Atlantic Coast

Major Rivers of France

Loire à Velo Route – Where to stay, how to book and attractions to see on this great cycle route

Budget Hotel Chains give you some good options on cheap (and good) accommodation in all parts of France

Departments of France

New Regions of France

The post Loire Valley Towns and Cities appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Loire Valley Cycle Route (La Loire à Vélo) takes you through one of the most beautiful, and easily accessible, parts of France with the breeze in your face and the river beside you. You’re really getting away from it all.

The Loire Valley Cycle Route

The 900 km/560 mile Loire Valley Cycle Route goes from the little village of Cuffy in the Cher to the coastal village of St-Brevin-les-Pins on the French Atlantic Coast.

The route passes through the Pays-de-la-Loire, the Loire Valley regions and the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Nature Park. It takes in 6 departments: the Cher, Loiret, Lore-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire, Maine-et-Loire and Loire-Atlantique.

A large part of the route lies within the UNESCO World Heritage Site along the banks of the Loire.

This huge project took more than ten years to build, and the French particularly have taken to this local, free, eco-friendly activity.

Practical Information

You’ll find all the information you need on the Loire à Vélo website. You can also pick up the information and brochures at the various tourist offices along the route.

See below for more on where to hire, stay, eat and more.

Which part of the Loire Valley Cycle Route to choose?

Unless you have a lot of time and plan extremely thoroughly (and are very fit as well), you’ll probably cycle just a part of the route.

Concentrate on one area and if you can, do that in depth. Various parts of the Loire à Vélo cycle route have devised their own mini routes leading off the main route. So different paths might take you on a meandering trail through the Loire Valley, visiting various châteaux. Another one leads you to the Sologne south of Orléans. Another is around Angers. You can take one or up to three days. That’s the joy of the Loire Valley cycle route – it can be as long or as short as you, and your legs, want it to be.

Main Loire Valley Cycle Route

Le Guétin in the Cher to Orléans

The official itinerary of the Loire à Vélo starts at Le Guétin, a suburb of Cuffy in the Cher. This first part is the wildest part of the route and at the Pont Canal in Le Guétin you can see where the Loire and the Allier join. Both rivers at this stage are small, their sources not far away.

This part takes you along the part of the Loire which is less well known to visitors. Instead of châteaux, you have delightful small towns like La Charité-sur-Loire with its monastery.

Around Sancerre and its vineyards

Around Sancerre, worth a visit for the pretty walled town above the river, vineyards stretch into the distance. If you’re on a bicycle you can stop and taste, but buying is a bit tricky. So make a note if you’re a wine lover; this part of France is well worth returning to for a different, bucolic visit. Years ago we came across Pascal Jolivet and his Clos du Roy. They used to be moderately inexpensive; now they’re around £20 a bottle so I am on the look-out for other Sancerre vineyards.

Less well-known sites

The peaceful canal runs beside the river as far as Briare which has a splendid iron Belle Epoque viaduct, the longest canal bridge in Europe.

This is a very pretty stretch of the river, taking you to Gien with its 15^th-century château overlooking the river.  

Then it’s on to Sully-sur-Loire where the delightful white-stoned château rises out of the huge moat. From here, the route takes you to St-Benoit-sur-Loire with its Romanesque Abbaye, and Châteauneuf-sur-Loire whose splendid bridge has a sound and light show in the summer.

Orléans

Orléans is a big city, best known for its association with Joan of Arc. It’s a delightful place, with Renaissance and neo-classical buildings, lots of reminders of Joan of Arc and a riverside full of bars, cafes and restaurants.

Many visitors just regard Orléans as the jumping off point for visits to the châteaux stretching along the famous river. So it has a more local feel than towns like Chartres or Blois.
Here’s a guide to Orléans, well worth a stop over.

Orléans to Tours

This is one of the most popular parts of the cycle route. This glorious region was the playground of kings and queens, dukes and duchesses. And they all built spectacular châteaux to house themselves, their lovers, their families and the huge numbers of servants who catered for their every need. And of course, to impress the King and their neigbors.

Pays des Châteaux detour

In this part of the route, you can branch off and take separate rides between some of the châteaux. Altogether there are 300 kilometers of route, but you can choose exactly how far you want to ride. Download or get the map and routes from the local tourist office or view it on line.

The route will take you to châteaux such as Chambord, the largest, and externally grandest, of all the castles in the Loire (it’s rather stiff, formal and cold inside and it was only used as a very posh hunting lodge by François I in the 16th century).

Then there are the smaller, more intimate and more attractive châteaux, like Cheverny, still in the same family.

Back on the main Orléans to Tours Route

The town of Blois is well worth a visit in its own right and is roughly half way between Orléans and Tours. For anybody interested in gardens, Chaumont-sur-Loire is a must for its summer-long huge garden festival.

Amboise makes another spectacular stop with its beautiful château slumbering on the river bank. François I installed Leonardo da Vinci in the nearby Clos Lucé for 3 years before his death; it’s full of the inventions of the great Renaissance man.

Some of the châteaux lie along other rivers that feed into the Loire, such as gracious Chenonceaux which straddles the Cher.

You’ll have been cycling through wine country as well, moving from the Loire Valley wines to the vineyards around Tours such as well-known Vouvray. Tours itself is a historic cathedral city and the chief town of the Loire Valley.

Tours to Angers

This is another delightful stretch with the Regional Park of Loire-Anjou-Touraine to the north, once-inhabited caves to the south and more châteaux along the river and its tributaries like Azay-le-Rideau on the Indre (which is my favourite) and Chinon on the Vienne river.

If you fancy seeing how our very ancient ancestors lived, there’s another bike ride in the Saumur Region taking in a specially created passage through the cave dwellings on the stretch from Chinon to Angers. The secret troglodyte should book one of the hotels here where rooms are carved out of the rock.

Fontevraud-l’Abbaye is an impressive Romanesque complex where the tombs of the Plantagenet royal family remind you of the historic bonds between England and France.  

Saumur is delightful, spreading along both banks of the Loire with a wonderful château overlooking the river.  Then it’s on to Angers, where the castle displays one of the most impressive, and chilling sights, the Tapestry of the Apocalypse. It ranks with the Bayeux Tapestry as one of the great art works of the past.

Angers to Nantes unusual sites

Charming villages line the route from Angers. Savennières has a Romanesque tower and good vineyards; Béhuard is a surprising, small island with a splendid church, former 15^th century royal home and 15^th and 16^th century houses. The chapel of the former abbey in St-Florent-le-Vieil has a splendid tomb by David d’Angers of General Bonchamps. He was the tactically adroit leader of the royalists fighting the Republicans in the Vendée during the French Revolution.

Ancenis was one of the great ports for the wine trade; Champtoceaux has a fabulous position with a panoramic view of the river.  

Then you’re in Nantes, a city that has reinvented itself very successfully. The former capital of Brittany and now in the Pays de la Loire region has an old town and a very lively arts scene. It’s famous for the extraordinary Machines de l’Ile and its different huge machines. Children love this part of the city, particularly if they get to ride (or get sprayed by) the elephant who makes his way slowly through the city. Or just try the carousel for a Jules Verne moment.

Nantes to St- Brévin-les-Pins

After Nantes you’re following the Loire to the sea. On the way you’ll see some of the extraordinary art works that were inspired by Nantes: the house in the river, and the house perched on top of a vast chimney.

All too soon you’re at the seaside resort of St-Brévin-les-Pins where the Loire Valley Cycle route ends and the Loire estuary empties into the Atlantic. It stands opposite the city of Saint-Nazaire, a naval and industrial port. It’s linked to the south bank of the river by the bridge, 60 metres tall and over 3km long.

It’s a far cry from the small river you first saw in the east.

Getting to the Loire Valley Cycle Route

Once you’re in France, the most logical way to get to your starting point is by train. You can organize rail travel, and organize space for your bicycles if you’re taking your own on Rail Europe.

Hiring a Bicycle

All major towns from the start to finish have agencies where you can hire a bike from St-Nazaire to the Cher at Saint-Satur.

You can also hire helmets and trailers. Some companies will meet you at the station or wherever you choose that is convenient so you can set off as soon as you arrive. There are also luggage transfer services so you don’t have to carry luggage with you.
Check out the possibilities here.

Cycle Repair

At every point along the route there are professional cycle repair shops. They are open long hours, offer tourist information and breakdown assistance.

Where to Stay

All along the route there are various forms of accommodation, all carrying the ‘Loire à Vélo’ label.

They include camp sites and gites, bed and breakfast accommodation and hotels. They range in price from less than €50 euros more than €100 a night.  The label they carry means that they all offer helpful facilities for cyclists such as secure bicycle parking, repair kits and more. And of course fellow cyclists to chat to!

Or check out the budget hotel chains all over France for an inexpensive option.

Where to Eat

You’ll find recommendations at all points of the journey, from ginguettes beside the river (originally popular dance and drinking places that also served food, but now charming, often open-air seasonal restaurants offering local food) to station brasseries and top Michelin-starred restaurants.
Check them out here.

Helpful Hints

If you want to cycle for more than a few days, take your own bike. A friend has advised using mountain bikes with slick tyres.

Prepare yourself in advance and ride 20 to 30 kilometers a few times a week to get fit.

Travel light and carry what you need in waterproof, lightweight panniers.  Take cycle mitts with padded palms and well-padded cycling shorts.

Take lightweight synthetic clothes which are easy to hand wash and dry fast. Jeans are not suitable.

For first time riders and families, the Loire Valley châteaux rides are perfect. Stay in Blois or Angers and cycle out each day.

If you see something that you find interesting or intriguing, or meet people who want to chat, then do just that. It’s as much fun as seeing all the requisite sites.

Remember this is a trip to enjoy, you’re not training for the Tour de France!

Go with a specialist company

There are some excellent UK companies that specialize in cycling in France, and particularly the Loire Valley. They provide cycles and E-bikes if you want, luggage transport, accommodation and meals, daily route maps and instructions, and on the spot help.

Cycling for Softies
Inntravel
Cycle Breaks
Freewheel Holidays

Useful Websites

Loiret Tourism Website
Val de Loire Tourism Website
Touraine Tourism Website
Anjou Tourism Website (in French)
Western Loire-Atlantic Tourism Website

Continue the route

The bicycle routes in Europe are extremely ambitious, with the aim of eventually connecting up the whole continent. At the moment, there are 14 EuroVelo routes, from Finland to Dublin to Valetta, Athens and Moscow. The longest route is the Iron Curtain Trail, 10,400 kilometers from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea.

The French East-West route continues on to Vienna, Budapest and Constanta, making a total of 4,448 kilometers from the Atlantic to the Black Sea. But that’s another story.

Here’s where to discover more about European bicycle routes.

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