David Darrault - CRT Centre Val de Loire

Loire by bike from Orléans to Blois

73km of adventure along the Loire by bicycle

This section shared with the EuroVelo 6 meanders through spots reflecting the Loire’s long-established riverine civilization. You’ll see how closely so many villages are tied to the Loire via their bridges, former trading quays and typically elegant buildings. This is a joy of a section for cyclists, with the architectural fireworks of some of Europe’s most spectacular châteaux also close by. The cycling proves as easy as it is exceptional.

Orléans, Joan of Arc and the Loire

Situated on the banks of the Loire, Orléans is one of France’s most iconic cities. It offers an authentic experience, where history, Joan of Arc and the Loire play a central role.

Panorama sur Blois et l'église Saint-Nicolas

CRT Centre-Val de Loire - J. Damase

Panoramic view from Blois Castle

Blois Royal Castle is an essential starting point for a cycle tour exploring the Loire Valley. Indeed, it encapsulates the architecture and history of the Loire castles all in one. Residence to 7 kings and 10 queens of France, it carefully preserves within its walls 30,000 works of art, distributed across the royal apartments in the François I wing and the Museum of Fine Arts housed in the Louis XII wing.

The unmissable Château de Chambord

A Renaissance masterpiece listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 16th-century Château de Chambord is one of the most visited sites in the Loire Valley. A royal estate of François I, inspired by feudal and Italian styles, it is said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The famous double spiral staircase and 440 rooms characterise this jewel, set within a 5,440-hectare enclosed park, which is a national hunting reserve. Secure bicycle storage is available for your bikes.

Tailor-made itineraries

13 Orléans / St-Hilaire-St-Mesmin

8 km

51 min

I begin

Gateway to the famed Loire Valley heartlands, once a capital in early medieval France, Orléans is now a lively modern city. It’s an ideal place to join the Loire à Vélo and EuroVelo 6 cycle routes. Whether heading upstream or down, it’s simple for cyclists to find the cycle paths leading to the Loire. This stage is as easy as it is enjoyable!

14 St-Hilaire-St-Mesmin / Beaugency

21 km

1 h 10 min

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Once you’ve left Orléans’s suburbs behind, you reach the attractive confluence of the Loiret and Loire rivers. This stage of the Loire à Vélo and EuroVelo 6 runs in part along a raised Loire-side levée, looking over an agricultural plain used for market-gardening. Don’t miss Meung-sur-Loire et Beaugency, deeply atmospheric small historic towns.

15 Beaugency / Muides-sur-Loire

16 km

1 h 03 min

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The contrast between the picturesque old Loire-side villages and the electricity power station at St-Laurent-des-Eaux shows how important the Loire has been for so many human activities, past and present. A lovely cycle path runs beside the river from Tavers to Avaray, offering a flat, easy stretch as you approach the Pays des Châteaux tourist area with its famed castles around Chambord and Blois.

16 Muides-sur-Loire / Blois

19 km

1 h 14 min

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On this easy Loire à Vélo stage from Muides-sur-Loire to Blois, you enter the fabulous Pays des Châteaux tourist area, covering the lands around Chambord and Blois, boasting many famed châteaux. Choose between three more or less direct routes. The Loire à Vélo itself provides the most direct way, but the alternative, meandering circuits allow you to seek out great castles scattered across these unique landscapes.