Set off on a cycling tour of the banks of the Loire with the Loire à Vélo loop, linking Ingrandes-le-Fresne-sur-Loire, Montrelais, Loireauxence and Saint-Florent-le-Vieil.
Starting from Loireauxence (Varades), at the edge of the village of La Meilleraie, a former fishing village, take a look at the abbey church of Saint-Florent-le-Vieil.
Then head towards Ingrandes-le-Fresne-sur-Loire. You can stop off at La Guinch’ette, a family-run open-air café on the banks of the Loire in Montrelais, open from April to October. You can also pop into the MAT, Montrelais’ contemporary art centre, if there is an exhibition on.
Continue along the path to reach Ingrandes-le-Fresne-sur-Loire. Take the time to admire its bridge, slipways and quays, which still bear witness to a bustling port. This ‘Petite Cité de Caractère’ (Small Town of Character), currently awaiting official recognition, charms passing visitors.
Cross the bridge to reach Mesnil-en-Vallée, where you have two options: take the embankment along the Loire or follow the Thau valley.
Then continue on to Saint-Florent-le-Vieil to complete the loop and discover this Petite Cité de Caractère, its abbey church, its views over the Loire and its narrow streets.
Important information: the road surface is damaged near Loireauxence (Varades); a diversion has been put in place via the D18. You can find the route in the downloadable PDF.
Check the map showing the difficult sections identified to date (link by clicking on “website”).
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