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.

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

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