Loire by bike: cycling along the Loire makes it an even better experience
If ever you come cycling along on the « Loire à vélo » road, you will be sure to have an easy and enjoyable experience. The beauty of nature combined with the chateaux, gardens and vineyards will be a real delight.
The Loire by bike (“Loire à vélo”) is the ideal place to spend some time amongst friends, cycling from château to château and stopping for well-deserved breaks on the sandy beaches of the Loire River. An ideal way to enjoy life is having a nice picnic on the sandy banks of the river, watching a heron flight elegantly, skipping stones on the water or having a cold glass of rosé wine. You will no doubt stop cycling on the way, to admire the many troglodyte dwellings dug into the hill with the ancient vineyards on top.
Cycling along the Loire
Freewheeling along the Loire
Take some time to discover the landscape from the terraces of the royal château in Amboise or go to Château Gaillard to admire the orange trees as if you lived at the time of Dom Pacello. Do not forget to stop in Montlouis-sur-Loire to visit a wine maker and taste their delicious wine.
On your way to Tours, you will probably notice the silhouette of the Gothic cathedral. Take a well-deserved break on the popular square « place Plum », the “place to be” and have a drink.
Then, have a delicious dinner made of local produce such as « rillons » and « rillettes » (specialities made of cooked pork meat), or the famous goat cheese from Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. Choose your accommodation, either in a château or outside in the middle of nature or in a tree house….
Cycling along the Loire
Go on cycling until you discover the well-known gardens in Villandry, enjoy the beautiful view of the Loire River in Bréhémont, cycle under the cover of pleasant wood and arrive on time at Ussé to wake up the sleeping beauty!
To end this royal journey, stop to visit the huge fortress in Chinon, the royal residence where King Richard the Lion Heart of England died and where Joan of Arc came to visit the king of France. Finally, go on board a traditional Loire boat called the « Amarante » and discover Candes-Saint-Martin, one of the most beautiful villages in France situated at the confluence of the Vienne and the Loire Rivers. Enjoy, from this ideal point of view, the collegiate church dedicated to Saint Martin.