Unexpected castles – cycle the secret Loire Valley in France

In France, there are around 45,000 castles – a little more than one for each of the 36,000 French communes. With over 4,000 castles, the Loire region is home to an impressive amount of this cultural and architectural heritage.

The Kings of France decided to build their royal residences close to the French capital thanks, in part, to the unique microclimate in the Loire region. It almost never freezes here. During France’s royal past, cities such as Blois and Amboise were as important as Paris.

Although the region has a massive number of castles, we often visit just a few and overlook others that are lesser known, yet just as interesting. This Collection invites you to discover these unknown castles, mostly located to the south of the city of Tours. The itinerary focuses on unusual and unexpected places.

Over five days, you discover the castles of Chatelier, Boussay, Touffou or Brézé whilst also taking in unmissable sites such as Chenonceau, Montsoreau and Chinon. Beautiful rivers and nature are also included as well as two prehistoric stops: Grand-Pressigny flint mine and the pretty village of Angles-sur-l'Anglin. The cities of Poitiers, Tours, Loches and Saumur also lie en route. You’ll discover magnificent religious buildings such as Saint-Savin abbey – a national treasure – and Fontevraud abbey.

Food in the Loire is among the most refined and delicious in France. I recommend cycling this route in May or June as you get the best vegetables during this season. You’ll discover many culinary specialities as well as excellent red wines such as Saumur-Champigny and Chino or white wine in Montlouis.

The 350-kilometre (217 mi) route is suitable for all cyclists regardless of your experience level. There are no technical parts and it is not particularly physically demanding, especially as you have plenty of places to stop for a rest.

The region is quite touristy all year round, so you can easily find accommodation.

I prefer to travel to the region by train. This Collection starts at Tours’ train station and ends (after a detour) at Saumur station. There are numerous connections to Paris every day, making the Loire an easily accessible region.