The Loire by bike: 7-Day holiday from Blois to Saumur

Your cycling holiday begins in Blois, gateway to the Loire castles. From the first kilometers the Loire exerts its magic on the traveler: the reflections of the sky on the water, the islands and wild banks, myriads of birds. And a perfect first cycle path to familiarize yourself with your bike! 

Then head to Chambord, the largest of the Loire castles, majestic: 426 rooms, 282 fireplaces, and in the center, the famous double revolution staircase which takes you to the roof terraces to offer you a 360° view of the domain. 

You get back in the saddle. By the greenway which crosses the forest of Boulogne and by small roads with little traffic, through orchards and vineyards, you reach Cheverny, a Loire castle in a classic and richly furnished style. Any resemblance to the Château de Moulinsart in Tintin is not accidental: it indeed inspired Hergé.

Take advantage of the freshness of the morning to get back on the road. For this second stage by bike, the multiple landscapes of the Loire Valley unfold over the kilometers on quiet roads and paths. In Chaumont-sur-Loire, take a break for lunch on the banks of the Loire then wander the paths of the International Garden Festival. Around a theme renewed each year, it welcomes the poetic and original creations of around thirty gardening artists from the four corners of the planet. 

Your route continues for 22 kilometers, along the river and on the wine hillside to Amboise. At the foot of the castle, in the medieval town, numerous terraces invite you to relax and taste Loire wines... in moderation.

3 routes to choose from

In the morning, before setting off again on the roads by bike, possibility of visiting the royal castle of Amboise. Built on a rocky promontory, it offers an exceptional panorama of the Loire Valley. The great moments of French history resonate here in its Gothic and Renaissance architecture. It is in his chapel that Leonardo da Vinci rests. A few hundred meters from the Château d'Amboise is the Clos Lucé manor, the last residence of Leonardo da Vinci.  

The route continues towards the Touraine capital with three routes to choose from through the vineyards of Montlouis, along the banks of the Cher or on the Vouvray wine route.

In Tours, stroll through the historic districts, discover St Gatien Cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic art, sit on one of the many terraces on Place Plumereau to admire the half-timbered houses, savor the regional specialties, Sainte Maure de Touraine, rillettes, Fouace de Rabelais, fish from the Loire.

On the program for this 4^th day, the Loire by bike ventures on the banks of the Cher: kilometers of cycle path in complete tranquility, the meeting with the toues cabanées, traditional boats of the Loire navy, the charming village of Savonnières, its petrifying caves... and Villandry, the latest addition to the great Renaissance châteaux in the Loire Valley with its remarkable gardens and its famous French-style vegetable garden. 

End of the stage in the small town of Azay-le Rideau famous for its elegant castle. 

Extension of 6 kilometers: along the way, you can take a short detour through the troglodyte valley of Goupillères to discover the behind the scenes of these beautiful tuffeau stone castles of the Loire Valley.

Today, head for Chinon! Three great writers of French literature invite themselves on the journey…

Via the banks of the Indre, in this valley dear to Balzac, you reach the banks of the Loire and the small village of Bréhémont with its monumental quays, witnesses of a rich river past. You cycle along the Loire embankment to Ussé and its fairytale castle: Charles Perrault, who stayed there, made it that of his Sleeping Beauty! After a break followed by a few kilometers in the Chinon countryside, set off to attack the royal fortress of Chinon and let yourself be charmed by the medieval streets of the Rabelaisian city.

A cycling stage in two stages: you first travel through the bocage of the Véron peninsula, a protected natural area characteristic of the Loire Valley up to the confluence of the Vienne and the Loire. Then, back on the banks of the Loire, you pass Candes-Saint-Martin and Montsoreau classified among the “most beautiful villages in France” and cycle between the vineyards of Saumur and the troglodyte dwellings which are particularly remarkable on this route.

 Return extension: 5 kilometers south of Montsoreau stands the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud and its domain, the largest monastic complex in Europe. Necropolis of the Plantagenets, it houses the recumbent figures of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II and Richard the Lionheart. This site, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is worth the detour.

Saumur has a beautiful appearance with the Loire along which it stretches and the silhouette of its castle built on a rocky outcrop. A city of art and history, it is also renowned for its national riding school, the Cadre Noir, its wines including Crémant de Loire and its troglodytes. A heritage to discover by bike.

Suggested excursion: 30 kilometer bike loop on the Thouet valley greenway to Brézé castle. Less known than the Renaissance castles of the Loire Valley, it is nevertheless no less interesting with its dry moats among the deepest in Europe and a network of several kilometers of underground galleries, witness to the turbulent medieval times when life under earth was organized.