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Top 5 of the castles of the Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is one of the most famous cycling destinations in France, with its various tourist attractions. In order to inspire your next bike trip, we choose to introduce our Top 5 of the most beautiful Loire castles. 1. Château de Chambord © D. Darrault – CRT Centre-Val de Loire After the war of Marignan, King François I decided to build the Chambord Castle in order to commemorate his victory. The construction of the castle began in 1519 and finished under Louis XIV’s regime. It was really influenced by the works of Leonardo da Vinci and characterized by the gothic style. The famous double-revolution staircase extends from the first floor of the castle until the terrace, where the fireplaces and several sculpted capitals could be found. The castle’s surroundings also deserve a visit. You may have the chance to see wild animals, to visit the vegetable gardens and to discover the local wine. A itinerary is also suggested for the cyclists around the castle. Moreover, there is a bike parking near to the principal entrance. A castle with more than 500 years of history, one of the most majestic representations of the Renaissance, a monument in the list of UNESCO… Come and discover the secret of this miracle! More information about the visit here. 2. Château de Chenonceau © A. Verger_CRT Centre-Val de Loire Chenonceau Castle is famous for its history characterized by an almost uninterrupted succession of women, which is why it is also called “The castle of Ladies”. The castle is not only special for its history but also for its structure. Spanning the river of Cher, the castle is constituted by 3 parts : the main castle,  the gallery over the bridge and the Tour of Marques, the only vestige of the old castle form. The current form was built between 1513 and 1517 by Thomas Bohier and his wife Catherine Briçonnet. During the first World War, the gallery was used as a temporary hopital. Today the castle is opened to the public and became the second important castle in the Loire valley. Inside the castle we can discover several rooms with classical furniture and a rich art collection. Outside the castle there are flower gardens and farms to visit. Chenonceau Castle has an area for picnic and many other infrastructures. All you need is just enjoy a stop there during your bike trip! More information about the visit here.   3. Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire © F. Charel – CRT Centre-Val de Loire Located between Amboise and Blois, Chaumont Castle was first built around the year 1000 in order to supervise the border of Blois and to protect the city from the attack of Counts of Anjou. Now as one of the most visited castles in the Loire Valley, Chaumont Castle profits from the project of the region which gathers the modern arts, garden arts and cultural heritage to develop many cultural activities. The most important is the International Garden Festival, which welcomes each year landscapers and garden designers from all over the world to let their creative imaginations run wild. Chaumont Castle worth definitively a visit during your biking trip. Every year it is enriched by new art collections thanks to its International festival. More information about the visit here.   4. Château d’Azay-le-Rideau © A. Verger_CRT Centre-Val de Loire The castle of Azay-le-Rideau was built by Gilles Berthelot during the regime of François Ier. It is considered as one of the masterpieces of the Loire Valley. The famous French writer Balzac described it as “A faceted diamond that is embedded in the Indre river”.  Today the castle has become one of the properties of the French state and welcomes many international tourists every year. While visiting this castle, you can admire the magnificent mirror image of the castle in the water and also visit the medieval style rooms. The exotic park with many different green plants is a part of the trip which should not be missed. After the castle visit, take your bike and wander through the beautiful roads to discover the stone houses and the local products of the region. This wonderful castle awaits just your visit! More information about the visit here.   5. Château de Villandry © V. Treney – CRT Centre-Val de Loire The Castle of Villandry is one of the last castles built in the Loire Valley in the 16th century. First medieval fortress, the castle was transformed into this magnificent work that we know today by Jean Breton, the finance secretary of François Ier. Its open view thanks of its U-shaped architecture lets the castle have a nice view of the Cher and the Loire rivers. Don’t forget to visit the garden of Villandry built at the same time as the castle. After many years of work, now this organic garden is full of different kinds of plants. Today many cultural activities are held in the castle, for example the vegetable garden day and European heritage day. Not far from the city of Tours, the cycling route between Villandry and Tours is one of the trips recommended by the Loire region. More information about the visit here. As you will have understood, the Loire Valley is full of fantastic treasures! The best way to discover them is by bike, so don’t waste any more time and check out all of our cycling trips in the Loire Valley.
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6 Awesome Activities in the Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is quite possibly the most romantic place in the world. Not only is it the luxury seeker’s playground and heaven on earth for foodies and culture vultures, but it’s also a fantastic region for outdoor activities. If you’re anything like us here at Le Velo Voyageur, you’ll fall head over heels in love with both the adventure and romance of the beautiful Loire Valley. If this sounds like your dream destination, here are 6 awesome things you can do during your stay…   1 – Wine Tasting The Loire Valley is well known for a huge array of wines, including crisp dry whites (such as Melon de Bourgogne and Sauvignon Blanc), its deliciously fruity reds (Pineau d’Aunis or Pinot Noir) and earthy red varieties (such as Malbec) to its fabulous sparkling wines (Grolleau and Chenin Blanc). And the region’s wine districts include Pays Nantais, Anjou, Saumur, Touraine and Centre-Loire – each one boasting their own unique sense of charm and all worth a visit. 2 – Canoeing The Loire River is one of the most fantastic places for canoeing and kayaking and the river’s many tributaries (including the Cher) will provide some of the most spectacular backdrops, with stunning chateaux lining the riverbanks. Some of the best canoeing clubs are Loire Velo Nature in Bréhémont, and Canoe Kayak Club Descartes in Descartes. 3 – Cycling This glorious region is definitely the place to be for outdoorsy types and one of the best ways to explore its wonderful towns and villages or its many castles and cathedrals is on two wheels! That’s right – we recommend discovering the stunning Loire Valley on bike and we have some great cycling tours suitable for couples, groups or families. 4 – Chateaux You simply cannot visit this romantic region without checking out the many chateaux of the Loire Valley. The castles here are truly diverse and there are more than 300 in total! Just a handful of our favourites include the medieval Cité Royale de Loches, the 10th Century Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, Meung Castle in the commune of Meung-sur-Loire, and the fairytale-like Château de Chenonceau which hangs over the River Cher. 5 – Abbeys and Cathedrals If you haven’t quite had your fix of Loire’s dreamy architecture from touring the many Chateaux in the region, there are also plenty of abbeys and cathedrals to fill your time. If you decide to hop from town to town during your visit, you’ll likely come across some of the region’s most spectacular cathedral buildings. We recommend visiting Bourges Cathedral, Orleans Cathedral, Chartres Cathedral and Pontlevoy Abbey. 6 – Hiking The next best thing to cycling, we think, is definitely exploring France on foot. The Loire Valley is blessed with beautiful countryside and some of the most charming towns and cities to break up your hikes. There are countless hiking trails, some of which start at as little as just 3km. Some of the longer walks are 13km+ (such as the Cléré-les-Pins route around the Château de Champchevrier) but well worth the time and effort.
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