Julio on the Loire à Vélo cycle trail from Nantes to Saumur

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“A cycling adventure, of a kind, along the River Loire, from Nantes to Saumur on the Loire à Vélo cycle trail. A trip through the Loire Valley to visit magnificent castles, including the Château des Ducs de Bretagne in Nantes, the Château d’Angers and the Château de Saumur.”

Arrival in Nantes

I take the opportunity to explore Nantes, and see the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, the Bouffay district and Saint-Pierre Cathedral. I then follow the signs for the Loire à Vélo cycle trail towards Saumur.

The landscapes form a superb change of scenery from my native Mediterranean! The climate here is another surprise for me; coming from a region where it rains 60 days a year, it feels like it rains 60 times a day here! But I came here looking for cool air.

The Loire à Vélo cycle trail is perfectly suited to my undeniable lack of fitness and my flawed sense of direction. Everything is designed so that you can freewheel without the slightest effort along the river.

The cycle trail boasts a very comprehensive infrastructure, with excellent signposting, a wide range of bike rental facilities, a large accommodation network and easy access thanks to bike transport by train.

The charm of the Anjou region

I love Angers, with its castle overlooking the Loire, its gardens and the quaint laneways of the old town, but I push on to Saumur.

I arrive at Saumur under sunny skies to visit the castle and its view of the Loire from the patio – magnificent!

My video log of my “adventure of a kind” along the Loire