Lured by the Loire (the big five)
The world-famous chateaux, abbeys and vineyards of the Loire Valley have long beguiled tourists. Yet beyond the classic sights and tipples, the wider region — the Pays de la Loire, one of 12 regions of mainland France — has heaps more to entice adventure-seekers, from the vibrant city of Nantes to the unspoiled coast and countryside that remains a mystery to most foreign visitors to France.
Here are just five reasons to extend your stay in this rewarding region west of Paris.
Camera IconGraceful buildings and contemporary art studs the historic centre of Nantes. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West Australian NANTES’ NEW AND OLD
There’s a clutch of historic towns and cities to pencil into a potential itinerary, including Le Mans and Angers, but Nantes is the big one, the region’s capital, its diverse roster of attractions studding the banks (and isles) of the Loire River that meanders through the city. As well as an imposing medieval chateau — the former residence of the Dukes of Brittany — contemporary sights will stoke your interest as you wander around the city. Quirky sculptures and installations dot Le Voyage a Nantes, a 12km-long art trail that skirts along boulevards, past the city cathedral, cafe terraces, up stairways, through parks and onto the island that’s home to Le Grand Elephant. This is one of the giant mechanical creatures created at Les Machines de I’Ile, a workshop and tourist draw at the repurposed docks. You can buy a ticket to ride the elephant or stand back and watch this surreal engineering marvel stride into action. Soaring 12m tall, it’s the city’s pride and joy after Jules Verne, who was born in Nantes in 1828.
Camera IconUnspoiled beaches are a feature of the coastline of the Pays de la Loire. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West Australian COASTAL CHARMS
After Nantes, the Loire widens into an estuary that meets the Atlantic Ocean. It’s here, at Saint-Nazaire, where many of the world’s ocean-going cruise ships are constructed and you can sign up for shipyard tours. While also wriggling north towards Brittany, the bulk of the Loire’s coastline winds south down to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. This 200km chunk is laced with sweeping sandy beaches, pebbly coves, quaint fishing ports and tidy resort towns like Pornic, Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and Les Sables d’Olonne, where you’ll find a raft of seafood markets, restaurants, B&Bs, family-run hotels and self-catering options. The weather tends to be better here than on France’s northern coast and there are far fewer tourists than the Cote d’Azur in the country’s south. While good for road-tripping — get those windows down and feel the ocean breeze — this relatively flat coastline is also ideal for cycling, with conditions usually best between April and November. If you’re not bringing your own wheels, there are numerous hire options in the towns along the Loire coast, which is part of La Velodyssee, a marked bike route skirting 1300km along France’s Atlantic coast (that, in turn, is one leg of the mighty 10,650km-long EuroVelo cycling route between Norway and Portugal).
Camera IconInland from the Loire’s coast is a network of waterways that are ripe for exploring. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West Australian NAUTICAL FLAVOURS
Sailors are also in their element in this neck of the woods and it’s the springboard for the Vendee Globe, regarded as the planet’s toughest solo round-the-world race. Stretching roughly 45,000km, and rounding three legendary capes — including Cape Leeuwin in WA — it’s staged every four years, starting and finishing in Les Sables d’Olonne (the next departure is November 10, 2024). There are less taxing adventures to be had in the Atlantic waters that caress (and hammer) this coastline, from wild swimming and windsurfing to parasailing and canoeing. You can also charter yachts, join fishermen on angling trips and take ferries to offshore islands. One possible outing, for example, is to the pretty, rugged Ile de Yeu. Blessed with snorkelling-friendly coves, it’s accessible by public boat from Fromentine or Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, known as “France’s Sardine Capital”.
Camera IconForest bike rides in the Pays de La Loire offer shade and woody aromas. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West Australian CANAL-CARVED COUNTRYSIDE
You don’t have to venture far inland to find yourself immersed in a wealth of enriching and photogenic landscapes, from aromatic pine forests and grape-laden winery slopes to salt marshes and bird-rich wetlands. As well as bountiful scenic drives and hikes, you’ll find a network of peaceful bike paths to pedal on and waterways to navigate with kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, punts and motor boats. One particularly entrancing pocket is the Marais Poitevin, a verdant nature reserve spliced with tree-fringed canals and ditches that thread past rustic villages and marshy countryside. Spilling across into neighbouring Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the Marais Poitevin has earned the moniker “The Green Venice”.
Camera IconPuy du Fou is a theme park with a difference. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West Australian PUY DU FOU
A Pays de la Loire trip isn’t complete without a day out at Puy du Fou. Located about an hour’s drive from the coast and Nantes, it’s one of the world’s best theme parks, though unlike your Disneylands and Universal Studios, it has no rides as such. It does, however, have plenty to entertain (and educate) all the family, with more than 20 shows and sets offering an engrossing trawl through French history and lore, from the ancient Roman era to the present day. Wander around medieval period villages, duck into World War I-esque trenches, watch Merlin-like magic and birds of prey soaring above a ruined castle and experience the thrill of chariot races tearing around a huge arena resembling the Colosseum. You can snack and dine at various places at Puy du Fou — including a Belle Epoque-fashioned cabaret club — and if you’d like to extend your stay, book a room at one of the park’s themed hotels. There’s everything from a Gallo-Roman villa to a palace evoking the glittering era of Louis XIV.
fact file + For more information on visiting the Pays de La Loire region, see atlantic-loire-valley.com + To help plan a trip to France, see france.fr
Camera IconThe Loire region has much to entice adventure-seekers. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West AustralianCamera IconPort and resort towns like Les Sables d’Olonne draw visitors from land and ocean. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West AustralianCamera IconThe Puy du Fou theme park features more than 20 shows and sets showcasing French history and lore. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West AustralianCamera IconSalt marshes are another scenic feature of the Loire’s coast. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West AustralianCamera IconThe Loire coast offers a plethora of watersports options. Credit: Steve McKenna/The West Australian
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