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Loire Attractions  When we started preparing this section we had in mind all the fantastic chateaux that the Loire is famous for, but as we started thinking about the places we had visited in the region, it became clear that the area has equally as much to boast about when it comes to tourist attractions.  Coupled with the chateaux.... caves, museums and delightful towns this makes for one of the most attractive regions for active holidays.

Parc Naturel Regional Loire-Anjou-Touraine

Parc Naturel Regional Loire-Anjou-TouraineIn 1996 the area between Tours and Angers – on both sides of the main Loire river- became a regional park. Its aims are not only to preserve the traditions and national identity of the area but also to protect the areas heritage and to help people appreciate the wide diversity that the region has to offer.
One such way in which this has been made possible is in the creation of a series of walks, known as Sentiers d’Interpretation which are circular routes (2 - 8km), each with a particular theme, which have information boards explaining what you are seeing. An added bonus for those with limited French is that the information boards are in English as well as French, making them more readily user friendly for our children (and perhaps the adults!!) The local Tourist Information Office has maps of all the routes which are free. On one side is the route, along with the distance and how long it is likely to take. On the other there are a series of word games relating to the route for children to complete, so bringing along a pencil may help.

 Our favourite attractions in the Loire valley:


     - Abbaye Royale de
       Fontevraud
     - Aquarium du Val de Loire
     - Maulévrier Japanese
       Gardens
     - Le Parc des Mini-Châteaux
     - Parc Naturel Regional
       Loire-Anjou-Touraine
     - Tepacap Adventure Park
Bicycle and Walking Trails:  We spent a wonderful morning walking the vineyard route at Le Puy-Notre-Dame (W of Montreuil-Bellay). We learnt about the process of producing wine starting from cépage and terroir, to learning about the work of a vineyard owner throughout the year, to that final all important process of dégustation!  All we needed at the end was someone to hand us a fortifying glass of wine but unfortunately that didn’t happen!  It would be possible to go round these routes on a mountain bike (VTT in French) or there are plenty of other opportunities for cycling on designated cycle paths or simply along the quiet backroads. Cycling is a pleasure, as along the rivers it is fairly level while away from the main water-routes the countryside is gently undulating. The Tourist Office is a good first port of call for hiring bikes.