The Loire, on pedals
We don't ask you to hitch a ride on his 800-kilometre route, because he sees how long the Loire is. Everything depends on you and your desire, we only tell you that if you want, you can . Almost a thousand kilometers that start very close to Paris and end in the Atlantic. If you don't want to faint, we suggest you combine exercise with the most tempting and best located restaurants in the valley , so you can enjoy its best views.
The first thing you should know is that you can rent and return the bike at any point of the route , since Bonny-sur-Loire , in the Orleans region to Chalonnes-sur-Loire , on the Atlantic Coast, so that freedom is total. From one day to infinity: seven will cost you 60 euros; the second thing is that the walks along the river are a delight, and, good news: they hardly have slopes; The third thing is that if you decide to discover the region during the spring/summer season, you will find a lot of appealing activities: from festivals to period shows.
By bike and without regrets
ORLEANS
Let the spring sun find you savoring a good coffee in one of the many terraces of the entertaining Place du Martroi , in the heart of Orleans. The impressive statue of the legendary Joan of Arc will give us encouragement to start pedaling. Our first contact with the gastronomic Loire takes us to ** Le Pavillon Bleu , in Olivet**, a cute restaurant specialized in fish with one of those terraces that seems to catch you at siesta time.
But it is not convenient to be lazy, because right here it begins The Promenade des Moulins , a unique walk along the Loiret – a 13 kilometer long tributary of the Loire – which is more like an open-air museum made up of eight medieval mills which once channeled the stormy waters of the Loire. Little known, this walk is a delight for collectors of rarities, and a must for French Sunday lovers. 20 kilometers away is the Chateau de Meng sur Loire , one of the oldest in France. Before the Revolution it was home to the powerful Bishops of Orleans, to whom it owes much of its eventful history. A trip that is easy to undertake by going through its rooms: the medieval kitchen, the herbarium, the laundry, the impressive barn, the library, the curious bath room or even the torture room – the latter not suitable for sensitive spirits -
We pedal until tavers . The ** Château de Guignes ** is today an exclusive luxury hotel run by a friendly married couple. They themselves show their well-kept gardens, update us on the history of the place and take care of serving dinner on the terrace. Quite an experience that, thanks to French time, allows us to enjoy their homemade cherry liqueur while watching the sunset. The Tonnellerie it is another luxury option, especially if we no longer feel our legs. It is a hotel with an outdoor hot water pool, a gastronomic restaurant and a well-cared-for spa where its shiatsu massages stand out.
A breakfast at Le Manoir les Minimes
BLOSSOM
Between Orleans and Blois lies the jewel in the crown: the Chateau de Chambord , one of the most photographed in the world. Chambord has passed into the collective imagination for its distinctive Renaissance architecture, capable of mixing forms of medieval tradition and classic Italian structures with tremendous power. The result is stunning . The largest of all the Châteaux de la Loire, however, was conceived as a hunting lodge for King François I. A modest qualification for such a display of means. Just for the photo of its roofs and chimneys - which seem to belong to the dream world - it is worth deviating a few kilometers.
The photogenic Château de Chambord
After this vision we deserve a meal that can be described as regal at least. That's why we chose L'orangerie du Château de Blois , bearer of a Michelin star. At the controls is chef Jean-Marc Molveaux, a lover of this land who turns the simplest viands into true works of art. From 40 euros we can give ourselves a tribute.
Our next stop takes us to Chaumont-sur-Loire International Garden Festival . In a fairytale setting and under the slogan Gardens of Sensations, the best garden creators in the world compete in talent and creativity to create unique spaces on the tremendous esplanade of the Château. An explosion of colors and aromas that turns twenty-one. An unforgettable walk for which it is convenient to reserve at least three hours of our time.
The 1001vins wine cellar, in Tours
AMBOISE
The origins of the city of Amboise date back to Celtic times, so it is not surprising that we find here a magnificent Château with a clear defensive vocation. Situated by the river, the Chateau Royal It has accommodated numerous illustrious guests throughout its long history - among others Leonardo Da Vinci who has a tribute statue in its gardens - and today, this Gothic-Renaissance building is perfect for understanding how the centuries have changed the function of these castle-palaces to the point of turning them into guardian museums of history. Important: if you want to get excellent panoramic photos of the Loire you have to go up to the Ronda Gallery , from which all activities in the area, normal and suspicious, were formerly monitored. If you prefer a complete image of the Château, you have to cross the river and wait for sunset. It's worth it.
Following the vineyard road along the left bank of the Loire, we find the charming Auberge de Launay. Once again, a space with a perfect terrace to get to know the specialties of the area at a good price, including oenological ones. **A cocktail of colors and off to bed. We take it on the porch of Le Manoir les Minimes **, a small boutique hotel from the eighteenth century, founded on the ruins of an old convent, specialized in pampering the client. The ideal place to enjoy a long restful night.
The castle of Amboise
TOURS
The compact city of Tours is perfect to park the bike and take a walk without a map . curious about their alleys full of flowers, fall into temptation in its original boutiques and above all be attentive to its gourmet shops. We recommend La Balade Gourmande , perfect for finding the best products of the region: among many others, artisan pâtés, Touraine saffron, Tours plums, black truffle oil and Ste Maure-de-Touraine cheese, the best-selling goat cheese in France. A delicatessen universe that you will not be able to resist.
1001Vins is another essential: an old-fashioned wine cellar where you can find – as its name promises – more than a thousand wines from the country, including of course those from the Loire Valley. To continue, the avant-garde bistro Le Rive Gauche is the best place to understand the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the city, sybaritic and calm, dedicated to intelligent chat and the pleasures of the palate.
The perfect plan to spend the afternoon is pedaling through the countryside until you reach the Chateau de Villandry , definitely the most dandy of our tour . Built in 1536, it is the last of the great Chateaux de la Loire, but they stayed at ease, it must be said. Its magnificent gardens, which seem to be designed with a set square and bevel, are capable of transmitting all the seductive baroque sumptuousness of a lifestyle that no longer exists today – at least for most mortals.
The gardens of the Château de Villandry
The decorative garden is dedicated to love, a part to tender love, another to passionate, another to fleeting love and the last to tragic love. Later we will meet the Garden of Water, the Garden of the Sun and the Garden of the Simple , the latter of medieval composition completely dedicated to the cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants. Lovers of initiation can indulge in its Labyrinth, a magical composition that does not hide dead ends. Appetizing, right?
Among its thousands of visitors, the Asians stand out, who have opted for all their romantic potential to celebrate in their gardens their famous mass weddings . As a last curiosity: it was a Spaniard, Joaquín Carvallo, who abandoned his brilliant medical career to buy this Château at the beginning of the 20th century and restore all its splendor, in short, who recovered for the traveler the ability to dream hand in hand with history.