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Loire Valley Castles: Seven Enchanting Places to Celebrate Christmas

November 3, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Forteresse Royale de Chinon. Photo : adttouraine-coutand

Attitude Hotels

“Noël au Pays des Châteaux” réunira cette année les châteaux d’Amboise, d’Azay-le-Rideau, de Chenonceau, de Chinon, de Langeais, de Loches et de Villandry.

Pour cette édition anniversaire, chaque site proposera une mise en scène spécifique, avec notamment des décors végétaux, des illuminations, des installations musicales ou encore des évocations de contes et de traditions de Noël.

Sept châteaux, sept ambiances de Noël

At Villandry, the theme “Christmas, nature invites itself to the castle” will highlight botanical decorations and Christmas traditions.

Azay-le-Rideau proposera “Christmas at the Table of the Castles”, around the arts of the table and gastronomy.

At Chenonceau, “Christmas Without Borders” s’intéressera aux traditions de Noël dans différents pays.

Chinon misera sur “Christmas in the Land of the Fairies“, Amboise sur “Royal Christmas with Animals“, Langeais sur “Musical and Fairy-tale Christmas” et Loches sur “Beauty and the Beast“.

Plusieurs sites proposeront également des nocturnes, les 5, 11, 12, 19, 23, 26 et 29 décembre, selon les châteaux.

To read: Cher: itinerary from Chenonceau to Mennetou-sur-Cher

Pour marquer les 10 ans de l’événement, un “Pass Noël au Pays des Châteaux” permettra par ailleurs de bénéficier de tarifs avantageux à partir de trois entrées.

Le pass sera valable pendant toute la durée de l’événement.

Pays de la Loire: Four Ways to Travel Differently in Every Season

October 21, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

No, the Pays de la Loire are not reduced to their long summer beaches and the succession of their illustrious castles. Behind the postcard image lie intimate villages, monumental open-air artworks, and routes built for gentle wandering. With its New Voyages in Pays de la Loire initiative, the region invites you to venture off the beaten path and soak up the territory year-round. From adrenaline-pumping sports to quirky cultural getaways, here are four ways to (re)discover the West.

Between the Ocean and the Loire, a taste for adventure

On the Atlantic coast, the vast stretches of sand become a fabulous playground for outdoor enthusiasts. In Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, when the wind rises, land sailing delivers a thrilling sense of freedom along the water’s edge, accessible to beginners as well as seasoned athletes. Those who prefer to keep their feet on the pedals will find their happiness on the cycle paths of the Vélodyssée or the Vélocéan.

The Loire à Vélo unfolds a completely different backdrop. Tracing France’s longest river, this well-designed route winds through flourishing nature reserves and skirts an architectural heritage of rare value. The advantage of such a pace? Each pedal stroke invites a spontaneous stop at a lively riverside guinguette, a visit to a perched characterful town on a hillside, or a tasting of a local wine right at the producer’s door.

In the Alpes Mancelles and Mayenne, the art of slowing down

A change of tempo in the Alpes Mancelles, north of Sarthe. This land of wooded hills and narrow valleys contrasts with the more open landscapes often associated with the West. Around Saint-Léonard-des-Bois, hiking trails weave through pristine nature and reveal viewpoints over the surrounding reliefs. Along the paths, the scenery invites you to linger and discover a rural heritage still largely unknown.

In Mayenne, letting go plays out on the water. The river can be navigated aboard license-free houseboats. Glide through locks, pass by old mills, and dock at the foot of villages, all at a wonderfully slow tempo. Stops are improvised as inspiration strikes, far from the bustle of conventional tourist circuits.

From the Machines of the Isle to the Serpent d’Océan, unexpected discoveries

In Nantes, it’s not unusual to encounter a colossal mechanical pachyderm pounding the pavement. In the former shipyard district, the Machines of the Isle project has transformed the city’s industrial heritage into a dreamlike, captivating universe. The Grand Elephant embodies the perfect bridge between bold contemporary audacity and workers’ history.

Yet art is not confined to big cities. In Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, the astonishing Serpent d’Océan, conceived by artist Huang Yong Ping, spreads its gigantic aluminum skeleton across the beach. Visible with the tides, the sculpture seems to rise straight from the estuary’s waters. Another hidden gem, Sainte-Suzanne, a medieval town perched on its rocky spur, offers a plunge into History with ramparts that overlook the Mayenne countryside.

Spring, autumn, winter: a region to discover all year round

The Pays de la Loire changes its face with the seasons. In spring, gardens and green countryside invite leisurely strolls. In autumn, the Anjou vineyards and the Loir valley take on golden hues, while the wine estates offer opportunities to meet producers and discover local know-how.

Winter opens up its own perspectives. Along the coast, beaches return to a calmer atmosphere, perfect for long walks facing the sea. In Saumur, architectural heritage and cultural visits compose a weekend program, while the bocage of Vendée invites exploration of more intimate landscapes. All of these provide ample reasons to draw inspiration from these New Voyages in Pays de la Loire and pack your suitcase before July.

Sponsor article by Pays de la Loire. The editorial team did not participate in the creation of this article.

Three Cycling Getaways Along the Loire: Castles, Canals, and Wild Nature

September 6, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

By bicycle, the Loire slows down its pace. The royal river offers a playground of strikingly diverse character: here, the majestic silhouettes of Chambord and Sully-sur-Loire recall the grandeur of Renaissance castles; there, the locks, canal bridges, and towpaths tell another story, that of river navigation. Further south, the Loire and the Allier reveal a wilder face, with sandbanks, forests, and nature reserves.

From Blois to Chambord: a bike visit to the most royal of estates

A fairly short itinerary, where the Loire dresses in its finest attire. Leaving the Blois train station, you simply let yourself drift to reach the river. We follow it westward, then quickly branch toward Chailles and the Russy forest, which we traverse along a shaded avenue to Cellettes, on the Beuvron river. This village boasts a total of… 18 castles and manor houses! The Beauregard estate, famous for its Gallery of the Illustrious with 327 portraits of historical figures, is open to visits.

A little further south, here is Cheverny, which inspired Hergé to create Moulinsart in his drawings. After passing the Château de Villesavin, at Tour-en-Sologne, comes the centerpiece of the journey: Chambord. Along forest tracks, the scent of the undergrowth precedes the visual impact of the 282 chimneys of François I’s colossal château, built in the 16th and 17th centuries. A stone’s throw away, La Loire à Vélo brings you back to Blois, where you should not forget to visit the royal château. This route can easily be extended, for instance by heading downstream toward Candé-sur-Beuvron and the Chaumont-sur-Loire estate, enhanced from April to October during the International Garden Festival.

To find inspiration, study the map “Châteaux de La Loire à Vélo,” available on bloischambord.com

Practical

Length : 70 km

Duration : 2 days

What to see along the way : Beauregard Castle and its Gallery of the Illustrious, Cheverny and Villesavin castles, the park and Chambord Castle…

To the east of Orléans: from Loire banks to canal tranquility

Starting from Orléans, this loop emphasizes water and canals. Leaving the city of Joan of Arc, first La Loire à Vélo invites cyclists to ascend the river along its southern bank, then the northern one. First stops: Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire and its Fleury Abbey, a Romanesque architectural jewel, then Sully-sur-Loire, 8 km further, whose castle ringed by moats stands at the confluence of the river and the Sange.

Next, at Briare, the Loire is crossed by a famous canal-bridge built at the end of the 19th century, spanning it over more than 600 meters. The ascent northward then begins along the Briare Canal, one of the oldest in France, linking the Loire to the Seine — with, along the way, the spectacular flight of locks at Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses. Here, you ride on EuroVelo 3, which connects Spain to Norway… and you leave it at Montargis, nicknamed “the Venice of the Gâtinais” for its 131 bridges and footbridges. The route then veers onto the Orléans Canal bike route, a newly inaugurated path in 2025. This bucolic greenway winds 80 km to Orléans, weaving between flowered locks, ponds, forests and tranquil villages.

Practical

Length : 230 km

Duration : 5 to 6 days

What to see along the way : the abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, Sully-sur-Loire Castle, the Briare canal-bridge, Rogny-les-SeptÉcluses, Montargis…

Upstream of Nevers: a nature stroll along the wild waters

Is it the Allier that flows into the Loire, or the other way around? Some geographers argue that the tributary could be seen as the main branch… This loop explores the places at the heart of that debate. Leaving Nevers to the west along the initial (or final, depending on direction) kilometers of La Loire à Vélo, you reach the confluence of the two rivers: the Bec d’Allier, a mosaic of sandbanks with a touch of Amazonian vibe. From there, you head south along the Via Allier, a bike route that leads to Moulins via Apremont-sur-Allier, named a “Plus Beaux Villages de France”, then Le Veurdre, where the Maison de la batellerie narrates the history of navigation on this lively river.

From Moulins, the bike route 75 reconnects with the Loire at Diou, via the small roads of the Bourbonnais Sologne. We then descend the river along the rolling terrain of the EuroVelo 6, on the right bank, past the medieval town of Bourbon-Lancy (to reduce elevation and distance, follow the left-bank canal along the Loire). A detour to the Loire Bourguignonne nature reserve lets you connect with the river in a setting of sandy plains that shift with the floods. After Decize, the canal gently guides you back to Nevers.

Practical

Length : 230 km

Duration : 5 to 6 days

What to see along the way : the Bec d’Allier, the villages of Apremont-sur-Allier and Le Veurdre, Moulins, Bourbon-Lancy, the Loire Bourguignonne nature reserve…

➤ Article published in GEO HS magazine no. 134, “Grand Escapes at Slow Speed,” August-September 2026.

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Loire Valley Cycling: Two Secret Routes Through Castles and Troglodyte Villages

September 5, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Around Saumur: a subterranean escape in the land of “troglos”

The Saumur area offers the widest troglodyte ensemble in the Loire Valley! These cavities are former tuffeau quarries, the soft stone used to build the castles. Many have been converted into wine cellars, gîtes and other underground curiosities. Starting from Saumur, following La Loire à Vélo on the south bank, you come across the formidable caves of the Ackerman wine house, then those of the Mushroom Museum. After 15 km, from Gennes-Val-de-Loire, rural roads (marked route by Grézillé and Rochemenier) lead to Doué-en-Anjou, renowned for its “plain” caverns. There one tastes fouées, small bread loaves stuffed with rillette or mushrooms, before visiting the zoo, also troglodytic. After Le Puy-Notre-Dame, a short stretch of the Vélo Francette (the Ouistreham–La Rochelle véloroute) reconnects at Montreuil-Bellay with a winding path (marker “10”) to Fontevraud Abbey, via Brézé and its castle with underground chambers carved into rock. A few pedal strokes bring you back to the Loire and Saumur, through villages like Turquant and its Bistroglo. From Doué and Montreuil-Bellay, it’s easy to ride straight back to Saumur to shorten the itinerary.

Practical

Length : 150 km

Duration : 3 to 4 days

What to see along the way : the Ackerman cellars, the troglodyte village of Rochemenier, Doué-en-Anjou, Brézé Castle, Fontevraud Abbey…

Tours and the Indre Valley: in the saddle in the land of castles

A ride at the heart of the Loire Valley’s treasures, blending two cycling routes: La Loire à Vélo and the Cyclo Bohème, or the Indre véloroute. Starting from Tours, along the Cher to the west, one first admires the gardens of the Château de Villandry, considered one of the most accomplished examples of the French Renaissance style. A little farther, the banks of the Loire come into view. The fortress of Langeais, perched on the opposite bank of the river, is worth crossing for! At Bréhémont, head east onto the Cyclo Bohème, which leisurely climbs the Indre’s winding paths. The Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, this “diamond facet-set by the Indre” (as Balzac put it), does not take long to reveal itself. In Montbazon, Tours is only a few pedal strokes away. But it’s worth prolonging the experience: extend to Loches, then aim for Chenonceaux, via a marked route on quiet back roads. A cycling path runs along the left bank of the Cher, offering a striking view of the château. From here, a final detour to Amboise and Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life, beautifully caps this excursion in the land of noble residences.

Practical

Length : 180 km

Duration : 4 to 5 days

Things to see along the way : the gardens of Villandry, the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, the royal town of Loches, the Château de Chenonceau, Amboise, Clos Lucé…

➤ Article published in GEO HS magazine no. 134, “Great Escapes at Slow Speed,” August–September 2026.

➤ If you love GEO, then to miss nothing, discover our subscription plans to receive GEO at home every month with ease.

Loire by Bike: From Angers Vineyards to the Estuary’s Sea Spray

August 31, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Starting from Nantes or Angers, the Loire by bike unfolds into two getaways with distinctly different atmospheres. To the west, the river broadens and heads out toward the Atlantic, weaving through ports, canals, marshes and villages of the Pays de Retz. To the east, around Angers, it winds between wine slopes, islands and characterful villages, up to the hilly landscapes of the Layon. Two loops of a few days each to discover the Loire in a different light, taking the time to depart from the main route and venture into the countryside.

How to take the train to the Loire with your bike?

Reaching the Loire by train with your bike, without having to dismantle it and place it in a bag? It’s possible, and not necessarily complicated!

The TGV to Tours/ Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Angers and Nantes have limited bike spaces and require a reservation (€10)
Same for the Intercités (Lyon-Nantes, Paris-Nevers, etc.)

On regional trains, reservation (€1) is sometimes mandatory, depending on the route and the period (summer weekends, for instance)

The site veloabord.fr helps you find and book your itinerary.

Note that there is also a Loire à Vélo train offering up to 50 bicycle places running between Orléans and Nantes. Reservation is required on weekends and public holidays, and every day from May to September.

From Nantes to the Sea: Where the Loire Takes on Estuary Mien

This loop goes around the Pays de Retz, this stretch of land between the Loire and the Atlantic. From the city of the Dukes of Brittany, you first pedal along the northern bank of the river, the scenery more pleasant. In Couëron, a free ferry links to the southern bank. The route heads toward the ocean by following the canal of the Martinière up to Paimboeuf, a former port with colorful façades. A few kilometers farther, after the Saint-Nazaire Bridge (we simply pass at its foot!), there is the Atlantic. The Loire à Vélo ends here, at the gaping maw of the Serpent d’océan, a work by Huang Yong Ping installed in 2012 as part of the festival Estuaire.

From there, the Velodyssée, the cycle route along the Atlantic coast, begins. After Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef, the tip of Saint-Gildas is a prime stop for a night by the sea. Or one can opt for Pornic, the “pearl of the Jade Coast,” with its grand villas overlooking the shore. From Bourgneuf-en-Retz, a departmental cycle route returns to Bouguenais, near Nantes, via Machecoul. A stop at Grand-Lieu Lake is a must to watch the birds (herons, storks…). And another stop at the gates of Nantes, in the village of Trentemoult, an adorable tangle of lanes with multicolored houses, where a few café terraces invite one last contemplation of the river.

Practical

Length: 175 km

Duration: 4 to 5 days

What to see along the way: the port of Paimboeuf, Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, the point of Saint-Gildas, Pornic, Machecoul and its castle, Grand-Lieu Lake, the village of Trentemoult…

South of Angers: Nose to the Wind Between the Maine and the Layon

Leaving Angers station to the west, the city quickly fades from view. You cross the Maine to access the towpath along the Bouchemaine embankment, which threads between a lake and the river amid urban bustle. Once on the Loire’s north bank, the first stop is on the Savennières hills, a village that lends its name to a famous white wine with notes of lilac, peach and honey. A short detour is recommended to Béhuard Island, just opposite, a must-see for its lanes and its 15th-century church perched on a rock.

In Chalonnes-sur-Loire, the excursion changes course. The designated route “Anjou vineyard and villages” leads to an old railway line converted into a greenway, which climbs the Layon and winds along its meanders, in the heart of steep vineyards. A small climb up the Anjou corniche allows a picnic with an exceptional view of the Loire. In Thouarcé, head north toward the Brissac Castle, the tallest in France, towering above the Aubance river by 50 meters. From here, you reach Les Ponts-de-Cé, south of Angers, then Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire (visit its gardens), Bouchemaine and the train station. Or you can head straight for the station, shaving about ten kilometers.

Practical

Length: 105 km

Duration: 2 to 3 days

What to see along the way: Savennières and its vineyards, Béhuard Island, Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné, the Brissac Castle, the gardens of Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire…

➤ Article published in GEO HS magazine no.134, “Grandes évasions à petite vitesse,” August–September 2026.

➤ If you love GEO, then to make sure you don’t miss anything, explore our subscription plans to receive GEO at home every month with ease.

Relais d’Amboise: A New Five-Star Gem in the Heart of the Loire Valley

August 27, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Costa Rica

Frédéric Jousset unveils the Relais d’Amboise, his new five‑star address affiliated with The Leading Hotels of the World.

Situated at the foot of the Royal Château d’Amboise and near Clos Lucé, this 63‑room and suite establishment reimagines a exceptional historic site.

It notably integrates troglodyte spaces recorded as historic monuments, a Clarins mineral spa and myBlend, as well as the city’s first rooftop bar, offering a panoramic view of the Loire.

The architectural design, orchestrated by the LBBA agency and Roque Interiors studio, under the artistic direction of Joséphine Fossey, highlights the tuffeau stone and the Loire Valley identity.

The 63 rooms and suites occupy fully restored historic buildings, some offering private terraces with views of the river or the castle towers.

Relais d’Amboise : a troglodyte space dedicated to art and culture

On the gastronomy front, the Le Choiseul restaurant will offer contemporary French cuisine crafted by Michelin‑starred chef Nicolas Aubry and executive chef Vincent Léger Blanchard.

In parallel, the Le Turner bar, perched on the roof of the establishment, will constitute Amboise’s only rooftop. For wellness, the Spa des Roches will be housed in the heart of former troglodyte caves, complemented by a heated outdoor pool and a yoga space.

Read: 6 slow walks in Centre‑Val de Loire

The Relais d’Amboise also stands out for its cultural dimension.

The Greniers de César, vast underground galleries in tuffeau stone, will host an artistic program throughout the year, event spaces, and a tasting cave devoted to regional wines.

The site will notably participate in the artistic itinerary dedicated to sculptor Bernar Venet, in resonance with the Clos Lucé château and the Royal Château of Amboise.