Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire: A Tapestry of Châteaux, Coastlines, and Culinary Delights in Western France
Press the down arrow key to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.
Press the down arrow key to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.
Pays de la Loire
The Pays de la Loire is named after France’s longest river which flows through the departments of Maine-et-Loire and Loire-Atlantique and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. The basin of the Loire à Vélo cycle route runs along vineyards, the largest monastery complex in Europe in Fontevraud and the castles of Saumur, Montsoreau and the Château des Ducs de Bretagne in Nantes. Hiking, biking and boating can also be practiced in the river areas of the Erdre, Mayenne, Sarthe and Maine, the wetlands Brière, Müllembourg, Normandie-Maine, Loire-Anjou-Touraine and the salt marshes at Guérande.
The coastline of 450 kilometers, the peninsula of Noirmoutier and the Ile d'Yeu offer wide sandy beaches and charming fishing villages such as Pornic, Saint-Nazaire, Les Sables d'Olonne, Pornichet, Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and Le Croisic. Enjoy the many delicacies from the sea such as sardines and oysters. Inland enjoy meat specialties like rillettes du Mans au rillaud and Cul de veau à l'Angevine, served with lettuce, potatoes Bonnotte and beans ‘mogettes’. Also enjoy the sweet brioche bread, biscuits like petit beurres or petits sablés and the cheeses Cure nantais and Cremet, accompanied by a glass of Muscadet, Cointreau, or wine from Anjou, Touraine, Saumur and the Vendée. Inland the rich history can by found in the many castles and monasteries, for example in Laval, Chateaubriant, Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, Nieul, Luçon and Grammont. During the day bathed in the characteristic soft sunlight, in the evening beautifully lit for the performances.
See also the beautiful villages of Sainte-Suzanne, Vouvant and Fontenay-le-Comte, and the mills in Pouzauges, Les Alouettes and Les Herbiers. History you will find also in the theme park Puy du Fou. Furthermore, the region boasts lots of events including the races in Le Mans, the international horse show in Saumur, the international film festival in La Roche-sur-Yon and the bike race Grand Prix Cholet.