From Montsoreau, one of the "Most Beautiful Villages of France", in the direction of Saumur, the "Pearl of Anjou", you pedal, sometimes in your own lane along the Loire, sometimes in a shared way, on the hillside, thus enjoying incredible panoramas, in the heart of the famous vineyard of the AOC "Saumur -Champigny". Over 15 km, you cross no less than 5 troglodyte and wine-growing Loire villages on this Saumur coast: Montsoreau, Turquant, Parnay, Souzay-Champigny et Dampierre-sur-Loire.
From Montsoreau, a section on the borders of Anjou, Touraine and Poitou allows you to reach Fontevraud and his Royal Abbey then continue through fields and forests to the Center Parcs of the Domaine du Bois aux Daims.
From Saumur, you can continue on the right bank, on a car-free section of 16 km to reach Rosiers-sur-Loire, as close as possible to the royal river or left bank for about twenty kilometers towards Saint-Rémy-la-Varenne where you then cross several "Small Cities of Characters", between the banks of the Loire and the wooded hillside: The Thoureil et Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault. Along the way, also discover the many Gallo-Roman remains of Gennes or the preserved biotopes of the Joreau pond.
You benefit here, within the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Natural Park, splendid panoramas, unspoilt, protected and valued nature, remarkable fauna and flora. Observe the many islands along the route and the birds that nest there. Admire the exceptional heritage: castles, old stately homes, mansions or simple dwellings, mainly built in tufa stone and covered with slate. You are in the country of troglodytes: open your eyes wide to admire all these cavities from which the freestone has been extracted for several centuries; some are now inhabited, others have been converted into visit sites (wine cellars, mushroom houses, apples tapped), restaurants, discotheques, hotels: take a break and discover the rich past of these places! Also observe the flat-bottomed boats typical of our region: the toues cabanées, futreaux or other barges, after a golden age in the XNUMXth century, are back in service: water coaches, themed cruises and even... hosts...!
