dossier

Loire Gastronomic Taster Cycling

LOIRE GASTRONOMIC CYCLING | WHERE YOU STAY

Château de Chissay  ****   Chissay
Days 1+4

The Château de Chissay is a 4 star château hotel steeped in history, set in 25 ha of parkland overlooking the Loire. Lovingly restored back in 1986, it’s said that both Charles VII and Louis XI stayed here. In the stately dining room, once the guard room, you’ll be treated to delicious cuisine inspired by local produce and also a comprehensive wine list. The rooms have been tastefully decorated and their bathrooms each feature mosaic designs representing famous people from French history who marked the different periods in time.

Further details on the hotel website.

Day 1 Arrive at Chissay

We meet you at Blois station and take you (35 mins) to Chissay where your fabulous château hotel awaits.  Time for a swim before dinner.

Day 2 Chissay to St Ouen-les-Vignes 27km/17mi

Gentle pedalling along the banks of the Cher will bring you first to the superb Château de Chenonceau with its famous arches majestically spanning the river . Described by Flaubert as floating “on air and water”, it’s arguably the most beautiful of all the Loire landmarks. Lunch here perhaps on the terrace of the Orangerie restaurant before heading off through the shady Amboise forest and on to Amboise. Your final stretch leads to the elegant village of St Ouen-les-Vignes and Jacques and Odile Arrayet’s bijou hotel beside the river . Odile is a professional sommelier , and Jacques artistic chef de cuisine, so you’re in for some treats here!

Hotel l’Aubiniere  ***   St Ouen-les-Vignes
Day 2

L’Aubinière is in the centre of an elegant village beside the River Ramberge just 3mi/5k north of Amboise. The garden is lovely - willow trees are set in lush lawns full of flowers, you can wander down to the river bank. Good size swimming pool with views opening on to the garden and its trees. The 6 bedrooms are stunning; all are different – imaginative design and high quality fittings. Owned and run by Jacques and Odile Arrayet, it is the restaurant that truly demonstrates their combined skills – Odile is a wine expert, a trained sommelier. Jacques is an artistic chef whose trained eye finds the best regional produce to conjure up dishes that are full of taste and natural flavours. A culinary treat awaits!

Further details on the hotel website.

Day 3 St Ouen-les-Vignes to Chitenay 37km/23mi or 43km/27mi

Lovely peaceful cycling today with a choice of routes depending on how energetic you’re feeling! The shorter option takes you via the sleepy village of Limeray (lovely white church with impressive collection of statues) or you can head north through open countryside to Autreche – lots of wildlife so keep the binoculars handy! All cyclists then go on to Chaumont – the château here once belonged to Catherine de Medici and is quite spectacular . Between May and October , it hosts the International Garden Festival with a different theme each year . A final shady riverside stretch takes you via the pretty villages of Les Montils and Seur and on to Chitenay where you’ll spend the next two nights.

Auberge du Centre  **   Chitenay
Day 3

This charming ivy-clad hotel is right in the centre of the pretty village of Chitenay, run by the affable Gilles Martinet and his team. Most of the hotels 27 rooms have been recently modernised and Headwater rooms are all en-suite (with bath) and feature satellite tv (including CNN) and telephone. The hotel has a pleasant terrace overlooking its gardens, which are a real treat on a summers day, as well as an attractive sitting area inside, complete with wooden beams and comfy chairs. There is a car park behind the hotel, or on road parking available at the front of the building. 

Day 4 Chitenay to Chissay 31km/19mi

Head south past well-tended vines and sleepy hamlets surrounded by fields of sunflowers. Lunch perhaps on the terrace beside the fortified château of Fougérès-sur-Bièvre, before a downhill spin takes you to the River Cher where the charming old quarter of mediaeval Montrichard is huddled beneath the 11C keep. Lots of open air cafés and splendid half-timbered houses. A final flat cycle follows the Cher back to Château du Chissay for a well earned dip in the pool!

Day 5 Return home

We take you to Blois station after breakfast

For extra nights we recommend Chissay or Paris.