Villandry / Rigny-Ussé

This is a star-studded Loire à Vélo stage, taking you from the glorious Château de Villandry, with its stunning gardens, on via the confluence of Loire and Cher rivers to the fairytale Château d’Ussé. On this stage, you cycle along a raised levée beside the Loire, allowing you wonderful views of the great river. This is a special stage, mainly along shared country roads.

Route

The route follows the raised Loire levée along the D 16 road, so sharing the way with motorized traffic, although this is light. Just take care arriving at the town of Langeais.

Alternative route

At the Loire-side village of Bréhémont, you can follow a signposted alternative route down towards the small town of Azay-le-Rideau, with its famed château. This route is only recommended for experienced cyclists, as it has more traffic, although the road isn’t particularly difficult otherwise.

Don’t miss

Villandry: a charming historic village; the beautiful Renaissance château, world-famous for its exceptional terraced gardens, a must-see sight.
Langeais: a pretty little Loire-side town dominated by a grand château with remarkable gardens
Rigny-Ussé: an historic village with a magical château said to have inspired the famed French fairytale, Sleeping Beauty
Azay-le-Rideau: an enchanting small town on the Indre River famed for its stunning Renaissance château, with museum.

Markets

• Langeais : Sunday
• Azay-le-Rideau : Wednesday and Saturday