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Day 1: Orléans
Individual arrival in Orléans. After settling your luggage, take advantage of the time to discover this City of Art and History, which Joan of Arc liberated in 1429 from the English siege.
Day 2: Orléans – Beaugency (26 km; +86m)
After an essential visit to the historic center of Orléans and the sumptuous Cathedral of the Holy Cross, leave the city by cycling along the bike paths of La Loire à Vélo along the banks of the Loire, first to the beautiful Château of Meung-sur-Loire, and then towards the blooming town of Beaugency, dominated by its 11th-century keep.
Day 3: Beaugency – Blois (45 km; +131m)
Leave Beaugency and head towards Blois, a town with a rich past whose château is the perfect illustration of how French architecture evolved between the Middle Ages and the 17th century. You will then discover the unique landscapes of the Sologne region and, naturally, the Château of Chambord, an authentic masterpiece of the French Renaissance.
Day 4: Blois – Amboise (40 km; +200m)
Today's itinerary will take you cycling along the bike paths of the Pays des châteaux, through small villages and up to the Château of Chaumont-sur-Loire, which majestically overlooks the river and the village below. You will then reach Amboise with its Royal Château, where Leonardo da Vinci's tomb is preserved in the chapel. Just a few steps away, there is the manor house of Clos Lucé, where the Italian genius spent the last years of his life.
Day 5: Amboise – Tours (30 km; +100m)
Cycling immersed among the vineyards of Vouvray or Montlouis, you will have the opportunity to discover many cellars producing the refined white wines of the area. Continue then towards the Château de la Bourdaisière, where Gabrielle d'Estrées, the favorite of King Henry IV, was born. You will finally reach the city of Tours, which we recommend exploring the old part of, with its beating heart constituted by Place Plumereau, a lively square framed by typical half-timbered houses and animated by the terraces of cafés and restaurants overlooking it.
Day 6: Tours – Azay le Rideau (44 km; + 95m)
You will first reach the village of Savonnières where, if you wish, you can visit the site known as the Grotte Pietrificanti, so called because here the water turns into stone or rather, into extraordinarily white limestone creations. The route then continues to the Château of Villandry, famous for its gardens, unique in Europe, where flowers blend with fruit trees, vegetables, and aromatic herbs. The itinerary continues passing through Saché, the house museum of writer Honoré de Balzac, and ends in Azay le Rideau, where you can admire the splendid Renaissance château, a jewel set in the river Indre.
Day 7: Azay le Rideau – Chinon (35 km; +200m)
Depart in the morning towards Langeais and its 15th-century fortress château. Continue then to the Château of Ussé whose turrets, pinnacles, and dormers inspired Perrault in creating his famous fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. You will spend the evening in the beautiful medieval town of Chinon, on the banks of the Vienne River, famous for its elegant red wines.
Day 8: Chinon – Saumur (36 km; +200m)
Before leaving Chinon, visit one of the cellars where the famous red wine is aged. The route continues to the Abbey of Fontevraud, one of the largest monastic complexes in Europe, where the tombs of the Plantagenet dynasty kings are preserved. The tour ends in the beautiful town of Saumur.
Day 9: Saumur – Angers (58 km; +304m)
The route first follows the course of the Loire and then crosses the vineyards of Anjou. You will thus reach the tranquil city of Angers with the imposing fortress of the château, where the world's largest medieval tapestry, the Apocalypse Tapestry, is preserved.
Day 10: Angers – St Florent le Vieil or Ancenis (50km; + 246m or 67km; +326m)
Today you will cycle through the heart of the Anjou vineyards such as Coteaux de la Loire and Coteaux de l'Aubance. We recommend visiting Savennières before reaching the surprising river island of Chalonnes, one of the largest in the Loire Valley. A beautiful stage through typical villages and natural landscapes where life flows at the slow pace of the river, ending at the village of Saint Florent le Vieil or Ancenis.
Day 11: St Florent le Vieil or Ancenis – Nantes (55km; +125m or 40 km; +95m)
Pedaling along the banks of the Loire, you will cross a great variety of natural landscapes, home to much wildlife and riverine birds. A quiet stretch on the bike path will then take you to Champtoceaux, immersed in one of the most beautiful panoramas of the Loire and situated at the border between Anjou and Brittany. The route follows the course of the Loire to Nantes, the capital of the Loire-Atlantique department and one of the most dynamic cities in France with an immense historical, artistic, architectural, and cultural heritage that you can discover by strolling through its numerous pedestrian streets.
Day 12: Nantes – Saint-Brevin-Les-Pins (58 km; +227m)
Leaving the city, cross the river on a small boat and continue along the bike paths of La Loire à Vélo. The route then follows a narrow canal, first crossing a wetland area and then the countryside before reaching the Loire estuary at St Brevin les Pins, a seaside resort with a large beach framed by sand dunes and a pine forest, the perfect place to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation at the end of the trip.
Day 13: Saint-Brevin-Les-Pins – Le Croisic (55 km + bus; + 178m)
Today you will cycle from the Loire estuary to the wild coast of Le Croisic. Start with a short bus journey crossing the Saint-Nazaire Bridge, the longest spanning the Loire River, connecting Saint Nazaire to Saint-Brevin-Les-Pins. Then take the opportunity to discover the famous salt marshes of the medieval town of Guérande. In the heart of a natural park, this medieval town offers many testimonies of its historical past. Then continue along the wild coast before reaching Le Croisic, a beautiful harbor and coastal town in the Loire-Atlantique.
Day 14: Le Croisic
After breakfast, end of services and individual departure or extension of the stay.
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Loira
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