Loire Valley Bike Tour – I want it all

Upon your arrival in Blois, you can settle in to your hotel, in the heart of Blois. At the end of the afternoon our Bike Manager will meet you at the hotel to check your bike fitting. You will also want to take some time to explore this small city. Spanning both sides of the Loire River, the town is a maze of twisting cobblestoned streets and stairways, interspersed with beautiful half-timbered houses and lively squares and parks. Of course, you can also visit the Royal Chateau of Blois, residence of 7 kings and 10 queens of France, and the first historical residence to be restored in the region – acting as a model for the restoration of many of the other chateaux. Today it is also the Art Museum of the city, filled with more than 35,000 works of art. We provide a small self-guided walking tour to help in your explorations.

Your route takes you along tiny quiet roads, on very easygoing terrain today, as well as some dedicated bike paths. You’ll love your first views of the regions vineyards, and tiny towns and villages. When you arrive at the majestic domain of the Chateau de Chambord, you ride through the dense forest that was for centuries, the hunting grounds to the Kings of France. For one of your first chateau visit in the region, Chambord is certainly one of the most impressive. A monumental Royal hunting residence, built by King Francois I, the Chateau of Chambord is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. The size of it alone is simply astonishing, along with the beautiful sculpted details throughout the building. After exploring Chambord, your route turns back towards Blois, to return to your hotel for a second evening.

Your ride today has an underlying theme of fierce and competing Ladies. You leave Blois, riding westwards out from the town diving into deep forest, on tranquil small roads and through small villages. Rejoin the Loire following a great bike path in to Chaumont. The Chateau there was acquired by the powerful Queen Catherine de Medicis in 1560. Today it is renowned for its unique Garden Festival where contemporary garden designers display their inventive and astonishing works. Your route leaves the banks of the Loire through forests and fields, and eventually descending to another river, the Cher, and the Château de Chenonceau, a wall of elegance spanning it. Renaissance Chenenceau is one of the most popular chateaux in France. Given as a gift by King Henry II to his beloved mistress, Diane de Poitiers in the 16th century, she was the one who had the stunning arched corridor across the river constructed and added extensive gardens. She was the unquestioned mistress of the castle, but after the King died, his strong-willed and jealous widow and regent Catherine de Medici forced Diane to exchange it for the Château Chaumont, and triumphantly made Chenonceau her own residence.

Say goodbye to the Cher River this morning, and then hello once more to the Loire! Descend through the rich forest back down to its banks, and enjoy a stop for explorations in the pretty town of Amboise. Amboise is famous not only for its chateau of white limestone, which dominates the town, but also for the “Clos de Lucé” manor house which was Leonardo Da Vinci’s residence whilst he was in the service of the French King. Admire the models of his inventions, as well as see the chapel at the chateau where he is buried… Continue into Tours on a dedicated bike path, soon spotting the steeple of Tours Cathedral in the distance. During the Middle Ages, Tours consisted of two juxtaposed and competing centres: The “City” in the east, was composed of religious establishment (the cathedral and Archbishops’ Palace) and of the castle of Tours, seat of power of the Counts and of the King of France. In the west, the “New City” became the economic centre of Tours. The two centres were linked during the 14th century, but you still sense the two halves today. We provide a self guided walking tour to explore the Medieval centre, with the half-timbered houses, the many parks, and Place Plumereau, a lively square with many restaurants and pubs.

After your breakfast, the first part of today’s ride abandons the Loire River once more, to follow a bike path on the smaller winding Cher River. You leave Tours away from any traffic, and meander through easygoing countryside and small hamlets, on the its outskirts, bringing you eventually through the small town of Savonnieres. From there it isn’t far to Villandry, where we highly recommend you make a stop. The castle in Villandry can be visited, but it is the beautiful Renaissance gardens that are of worldwide renown. You can wander through the vegetable gardens, flower gardens, water garden, and symbolic garden, all beautifully presented in formal patterns, outlined with low box hedges. The route then continues southwards, with the option to detour over the elegant bridge into Langeais, to see the impressive fortified castle there. Descend eventually to yet another River, the Indre, and the town of Azay le Rideau. If you feel like it, stop at a local winery for a wine tasting as you arrive. You’ll also want to take some time to visit the castle – not one of the largest of the Loire in size, the 16th century castle of Azay is one of the prettiest, with the mix of Italian Renaissance style, and the charm of a French castle on the water, mirrored in the ripples of the Indre River.

From Azay you leave the Indre River and ride northwards back to the Loire on easygoing terrain. Once there, you then follow a wonderful bike route next to the River westwards, You soon reach the Chateau d’Ussé, the enchanting castle that inspired the Sleeping Beauty castle of Disney fame. Turn once again away from the river, this time towards medieval Chinon, a lovely and lively town spanning the banks of the river, but your approach brings you via the renowned vineyards that have made the town’s reputation, for the delicious, crisp red wines, with their particular spiced-fruit flavours. Chinon is firmly anchored in the region’s history; it was here that Joan of Arc arrived to convince the Dauphin King of her destiny to win back lost territories from the English. Imagine her plea to the unbelieving court as you wander the ruins of the castle today. After explorations of town, including Rue Voltaire with its many medieval houses, its boutiques and cafés, pedal the final stretch of your ride following the Vienne River to its confluence with the Loire, to neighbouring Candes and Montsoreau, both rated as France’s official “prettiest villages” and your home for this evening.

A lovely route through the countryside of the Loire Valley awaits you today, first moving away from the banks of the river once more. In the small town of Fontevraud, you should take some time to visit the abbey there. Founded in 1099, the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud is one of the biggest monastic complexes of western Christendom. The powerful queen of two countries, Eleanor of Aquitaine is buried in a painted stone coffin within the walls of the abbey, with her French husband, Henry II, and her son, the famous Richard the Lionheart. You pass several other sites as you approach Saumur, including troglodyte communities, mushroom caves, and an artisanal ‘hammered apple” maker. The historic centre of Saumur makes for great explorations; many of the monuments are built in the lovely soft local stone known as tuffeau. The Château de Saumur stands high overlooking the town. Saumur is home to the “Cadre Noir”, the National School of Horsemanship, known for its annual horse shows, as well as the Armoured and Cavalry Training School. There is an interesting and unique tank museum, with more than 800 armored vehicles, wheeled or tracked.

Your final (optional) ride is a lovely route through the countryside, with a final homage to the Loire River itslef. Head westwards, passing corrals with horses, small villages, and the vineyards that are the source for the renowned (and delicious) crisp sparkling white wines of the region. Our route takes you to the town of Rosieres, where you can find some lunch, and also will be able to cross the river on the town’s bridge, to return back towards Saumur on the northern side. Of course, we take you by Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent, a suburb of Saumur itself, in case you wish to finish the trip with a visit of the chalky troglodyte cellars and a winetasting. You’ll have more time today for explorations of Saumur itself (we provide a self-guided walking tour) – or perhaps just to find a terrace in Saint Peter’s square, to relax and soak up the ambiance of this lively town before your final dinner…

After a final breakfast, say goodbye to the Loire Valley until next time. Connections are easy from Saumur train station to your further travels. Bon Voyage!