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Discover rugged castles, fairy-tale châteaux
and serene monasteries. Ride alongside idyllic rivers and through
fields of sunflowers on quiet lanes. Relax in luxurious and charming
hotels, dine like kings and queens
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7
days / 6 nights beginning on Sunday,
finishing on Saturday.
Includes transfers from Tours Airport / TGV railway station, accommodation,
breakfast and dinner. Lunch is at your discretion.
The Loire Valley between Tours and Angers was the heartland of the
great Kings and Queens both of France and of England whose history
and families were entwined. Richard the Lionheart, Eleanor of Aquitaine
and Joan of Arc feature repeatedly in the tapestry of history that
makes up the region. The castles here are more rugged and better
fortified than the elegant château residences to be found
further east, and many saw their fair share of fighting. The area
is not limited to military themes for interest however. Medieval
religious orders took advantage of the rich, fertile countryside
and the availability of limestone for building to set up monasteries
and abbeys throughout Touraine and Anjou. The river Loire is lined
on both banks with the vineyards of many fine wine domaines: sparkling
Saumur, reds from Bourgueil and Chinon, Rosés from Anjou.
The local cuisine makes use of the local cheeses and fish, and ‘Geline’
poultry for which Tours the area is famed, and of course the wealth
of fruit and
vegetables which grow here. Our routes take in all of the major
châteaux; we also visit other attractions including the Gardens
at Villandry, the Royal Abbey at Fontevraud and ‘trogolodyte’
houses carved out of the soft ‘tufa’ rock along the banks
of the Loire. The cycling is gentle, following rivers and quiet
tree lined roads and forest tracks.
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