This Loire à Vélo stage takes you away from Blois along the Loire’s south bank, then a little further south to the village of Candé-sur-Beuvron via vine-covered slopes. Next, follow the River Beuvron back to the majestic Loire and the splendid Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, perched above the river, with magnificent gardens and garden festival.

On this Loire à Vélo stage, enjoy exploring fine wine-making lands as well as the regal river. You’re now in the historic county of Touraine. Excite your taste buds by visiting wine estates, some with impressive underground cellars. As to your eyes, marvel at the glories of the Château d’Amboise and nearby Clos-Lucé, the latter last home to Leonardo da Vinci. There are a few slopes along the way.

On this Loire à Vélo stage, the soaring Chinese-style Pagoda of Chanteloup near Amboise offers a Zen experience. Next, on to the prestigious Montlouis appellation wine area. Discover the wide range of local whites in the cellars and restaurants around here. Don’t overdo it like Gargantua, the greedy fictional giant closely linked with Touraine! This stage is relatively easy for cyclists.

This Loire à Vélo stage proves as delightful as it is easy, leading to the gentle capital of the county of Touraine, Tours. The microclimate at the confluence of the Loire and Cher rivers proves ideal for imparting unique qualities to the grapes of the exclusive Montlouis wine appellation. You can now explore this blessed corner of Touraine with ease thanks to the new greenway laid out beside the Loire.

Touraine is known as ‘le Jardin de la France’ (The Garden of France) and Tours is a perfect central gateway for exploring it. This Loire à Vélo stage leads you along the south bank of the Cher River to the Château de Villandry, a major stop, with its world-famous gardens, before rejoining the Loire. Either side of Villandry are picturesque cycle paths leading to the great river. This stage proves extremely enjoyable.

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.

This Loire à Vélo stage is marked by atmospheric islands in the Loire colonized by birds. At the Indre River’s confluence with the Loire, the setting is unspoilt. Further west, enjoy one of the most magnificent panoramas on the Loire à Vélo and Eurovelo 6 routes from gorgeous Candes-St-Martin, looking onto the confluence of Vienne and Loire rivers. This stage is easy, alternating between greenways and quiet country roads.

This Loire à Vélo stage from Candes-St-Martin to Saumur takes you from Touraine into the famous neighbouring county of Anjou, offering a wealth of discoveries, alternating between wine and subterranean (or troglodyte) sights. Either stick to greenways down by the Loire, or choose the higher, more demanding route on small country roads, through vine-covered slopes, ending with a dramatic arrival at Saumur Castle.

On this Loire à Vélo stage, enjoy some of the most spectacular, luminous stretches along the Loire. The route hugs the south bank of the river, allowing you to appreciate close-up remarkable buildings made in the gorgeous local tufa limestone, including the major church at Cunault and St-Maur Abbey. All told, a magical but easy stage.

For this Loire à Vélo stage, cross to the Loire’s north bank through Anjou, cycling through former marshes turned into rich agricultural lands in medieval times, when the raised levées were built. Pick up local produce on the way! At La Daguenière, either head for Anjou’s capital city, Angers, via Trélazé’s former open slate mines, or follow the Loire to the dramatic confluence with the Maine River at Bouchemaine.

This Loire à Vélo stage to Anjou’s capital takes you through the startling landscapes of the former slate mines of Trélazé. Then enjoy crossing the Authion River via a little cable ferry. This makes for a fun way to reach the enticing city of Angers, spread across both banks of the Maine River. An equally enjoyable alternative route takes you to Bouchemaine via the Loire-side town of Les Ponts-de-Cé (see stage La Daguenière >Bouchemaine).

In the heart of Anjou, this Loire à Vélo stage goes from opposite Angers’s central castle out via the green setting of the Lac de Maine. This urban stage is startling, avoiding motorized traffic, taking you through parkland and alongside the Maine River. Bouchemaine is great for a stop, for its typical quayside restaurants or a picnic beside the Loire.

Start at La Pointe, in a tremendous setting in the heart of Anjou, where the Maine River joins the Loire. A bit west, this magical Loire à Vélo stage allows you glimpses of the prestigious vine-covered slopes of Savennières. You follow the wild Loire closely here. Don’t miss Béhuard Island before going on to cross Chalonnes’s island.

This Loire à Vélo stage in Anjou crosses the startling island of Chalonnes, one of the largest on the Loire. Nearby, along the south bank, are the celebrated Coteaux du Layon vineyards, then the pretty perched villages of Montjean-sur-Loire and St-Florent-le-Vieil. The route is along quiet roads, cyclists able to make the most of the raised Loire-side levées and views across the islands.

From Mont Glonne, at the top of St-Florent-le-Vieil, with its great views of the Loire Valley, this Loire à Vélo stage goes on to Champtoceaux, an historic fortified site with further tremendous river views, standing on Anjou’s frontier with the Pays d’Ancenis on the north bank. It’s worth conquering the heights of St-Florent and Champtoceaux for the panoramas! The route is along quiet roads and greenways.

Welcome to the Basse-Loire, or Lower Loire and the county of Loire Atlantique. The importance of the Atlantic begins to be felt on this Loire à Vélo stage, as the ocean starts to exert more of an influence. The Loire islands, vine-covered slopes producing Muscadet wine and flat, very fertile market-gardening fields on the way to Nantes provide pleasingly varied landscapes. This Loire à Vélo stage proves interesting as well as easy.

Designated European Green Capital in 2013, the city of Nantes comes into view, a shaded towpath offering a gentle way into town. The new Tabarly Bridge leads over to L’île de Nantes, home to extraordinary outsized machines you can ride on, and to the Malakoff Quarter, being completely renovated. This island makes for a great introduction to the joyous tumult of the largest city along the Loire à Vélo cycle route.