Montpellier and the River Loire - June 2024

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• Pick up hire bikes in Montpellier.
• Ride to the Mediterranean coast to check bikes OK.

• Train to Nimes,
• quick look around Nimes.
• Train up into the Massif Central to La Bastide-St-Laurent.
• Ride to lakeside apartment at Langogne.
• Friends joined us for the Langogne to Sancerre section.

• Ride out of the mountains ..
• .. and down to join the Loire trail on old rail lines
• .. through numerous tunnels
• and finish at town of Le Puy-en-Velay
• where one of the major pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela starts.

• Following the route des Gorges de la Loire
• on quiet roads alongside the river,
• with high cliffs on both sides of the river,
• and climb up to rural hamlet above Retournac.

• The cycle route climbs away from the river
• although the rail line continues to follow it.
• Cross into Aurec over a Himalayan style suspension bridge,
• before finding our apartment in Unieux on top of a steep hill.

• Leave Unieux over another suspension bridge.
• Climb up to the village of La Garde with its iconic tower.
• Continue to the Chateux d'Essalais with views down to the Chateau de Grangent on its own island.
• This section of the Loire is a large lage held back by a hydro-electric dam downstream at Grangent.
• Half timbered houses in St Rambert.
• Stayed in the Station Hotel in Feurs, and ate in the only restaurant open (pizzas).

• The Loire again dammed to form the Villerest lake.
• Viewed another chateau on an island - Chateau de la Roche
• In St-Maurice viewed towers built by a family of crusader knights.
• In Roanne arrived at the terminal basin of the Canal de Roanne a Digoin, full of Dutch houseboats

• Left Roanne along the Canal de Roanne a Digoin,
• rejoining the Loire at Pouilly-sous-Charlieu.
• In Digoin crossed the Loire on an aqueduct carrying the canal.
• Arrived at the medieval town of Bourbon-Lancy.

• Rode through agricultural land alongside the river.
• before joining the banks of the Canal Lateral a la Loire.
• Fields full of poppies.
• In Nevers stayed at a large farmhouse full of antiques.

• Explored Nevers.
• Eurovelo 6 (Black Sea to the Atlantic) joins the Loire route in Nevers.
• The Loire still has large weirs.

• Left Nevers and crossed the River Allier just before its confluence with the Loire.
• At the confluence itself is the official start 'la Loire a Velo' - the tourist route along the Loire
• Every kilometer there is a brass distance marker - although they seem to peter out after 20 km or so.
• Near La Charite the rain set in - so we stopped in a restaurant for a leisurely lunch.
• Stayed in a riverside hotel in St Thibault below the wine village of Sancerre.

• Beween Sancerre and Briare we diverted from the river route to visit Guedelon.
• Guedelon is an experimental archaeology project, building a medieval castle using contemporary tools
• Construction started in 1997 and now is close to completion.
• Many of the craftsmen were moved to help with the reconstruction of Notre Dame in Paris after its devatating fire.
• Penny worked as a volunteer at the site in 2015, taking part in tile making, baking, rope making, and wall construction.

• Leaving Briane we crossed another aquedect - this time carrying the Canal Lateral a la Loire over the river.
• Coffee was taken at Gien in a cafe behind its chateau.
• As the rain set in we pedalled along a levee to reach the Chateux in Sully.

• A detour off the levee to view St Benoit Abbey restorations.
• Started to see groups of heavily-laden bike tourers mainly going upstream.
• On the river, until now devoid of boats, we saw the traditional Loire gabarres.
• Into Orleans to view Joan of Arc's huge cathedral and numerous old medieval houses.
• Brief visit with potter friend before locating our booked apartment.

• Late start after finding our tyres had been let down and pumps stolen from the locked bikes.
• Farmland with wild flowers everywhere still, croaking frogs and the ubiquitous smell of lime trees.
• Detour off the official route to look at a busy Chambord chateau, largest in the Loire, where cycling around the castle is permitted.

• Rest day in Blois for sightseeing kept us busy.
• We used the free electric shuttle buses (navettes) which run frequently on two routes around the city.
• Another huge chateau, cathedral, twisting medieval streets and steps, cafes, art galleries and stylish shops.
• Visited a Museum of Magic with live shows and the history of Houdini, a former resident of Blois.

• A visit to Chaumont castle for the International Garden and Sculpture Festival.
• And another detour, to Chenonceau castle - through undulating countryside, a welcome change to the flat Loire route.
• First sight of extensive vineyards
• Arrived Amboise our overnight stop, passing da Vinci's Clos du Luce chateau en route and later passed under the 30m walls of Amboise chateau ( our fourth chateau of the day !)

• Plenty of small colourful villages with troglodyte houses built into the limestone.
• Joined the many tourists in Tours in the city's two old centres looking at the cathedral and timber-frames houses.
• Just one chateau chosen for today - Villandry on the river Cher, with a typical Renaissance garden complete with 52 miles of hedging !
• Back to the river path to locate our B&B stop in a small hamlet at Brehemont.

• Surprised this morning to find a proper French breakfast with our hosts and 2 other guests so a bit of Francais required.
• Just 3 chateaux today - d'Ussee ( the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty and full of twiddly turrets ), Montsoreau and Saumur.
• Encountered flooded roads after heavy rains in the Massif Central and had to detour.
• Discovered Scutes, another traditional river boat, many of them being restored.
• Into troglodyte country with "des res" houses and even an entire underground village at Souzay Champigny, now a tourist attraction.
• Arrived Saumur, full of colourful squares with cafes and restaurants.

• All roads by the river today filled with thousands of cyclists for a Fete de Velo between Angers and Saumur. All types of bike, all types of rider, all ages.
• More flooded roads with no detours marked.
• Crossed to the north bank of the river, at St Mathurin sur Loire, first time since Orleans.
• Came across a pretty,10th century church at our afternoon rest stop.
• Then a puncture. Only the second of the trip.
• Challones for the night in a good B&B right beside the river.

• Last day of cycling today so attempted to wash the rented bikes in the river before collection tomorrow.
• Lots more activity on the now very wide river - houseboats on converted gabarres, working boats, a few cruisers and navigational buoys to avoid the sand bars and many islands.
• Bit surprised to pass an old coal mine which we'd presumed to be lime kilns.
• 5 river crossings, passing through extensive market gardens on the sandy soil and on a new section of cycle route due to a landslip on the north side.
• Our arrival in Nantes a bit traumatic - traffic and people everywhere at rush hour, in spite of a good cycle network through the centre.
• Our final hotel on the outskirts ready for plane home.

Notes

• Distance: 1,201 km
• Climbing: 6,960 m
• Days cycling: 19
• Rest Days: 2 (with a little cycling)
• Planning: Helpful advice received from Lynette Eyb at freewheelingfrance.com
• Guide book: The River Loire Cycle Route, Cicerone Books
• Bike Hire: Reve de Velo, Montpellier
• Bikes Used: Velo Scott Sub Sport 20 - hybrids with front suspension and rear rack
• Tyres: 700 x 47
• Lowest gear: 26T front, 34T rear: 20.6" gear; development 1.66 m
• Luggage: Vaude bar bag and two Ortlieb panniers, total weight 9.5 kg