WESTERN LOIRE REGIONAL GUIDE

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Centuries of French royalty holidayed in Western Loire, home of sun-drenched beaches, exquisite wines, magnificent chateaux and mouth-watering gastronomy.

Visit medieval castles for history and fairytale towers, or check out Le Mans of 24-hour car race fame.

Explore Saumur’s caves and find thrills at Puy du Fou medieval theme park.

Unwind at celebrated spas, or wander barefoot along one of France’s finest beaches at La Baule.

Finally, make time to savour Western Loire’s renowned dry Muscadet and Sancerres wines.

WESTERN LOIRE PLACES OF INTEREST

Le Mans

Famous for the 24 hour motor race which has taken over the town each year in June since 1923. The smaller Bugatti Circuit has racing all year including go-karts and motorcycles. Discover the history of car racing at the Musee de l’Automobile along with a superb collection of cars and a simulated high-speed track. Le Mans is also lively at other times of the year and has a beautiful old quarter of Renaissance medieval houses - ‘Vieux Man’. Visit Gothic Cathedrale St-Julien and Roman remains near the river. Situated between Normandy and the Loire Valley, the journey to Le Mans is only just over 2 hours by motorway from Caen’s ferry port of Ouistreham.

Saumur

Extending across both banks of the River Loire, Samur is the ideal base for discovering ancient troglodyte houses carved from the local limestone (tufa) cliffs. Long tunnels hewn in the tufa are used to mature the sparkling wine for which Saumur is renowned and to cultivate mushrooms. The Musee du Champignon (mushroom museum) offers guided tours.Visit the Chateau de Saumur, once under English control and a fortress since the eleventh century; the distinctive towers were added later. It houses a decorative arts museum and Musee du Cheval (Horse Museum) reflecting its association with the elite cavalry school based here. Nearby St-Hilaire-St-Florent stages wonderful riding displays by skilled army horsemen.

Puy du Fou

Vendee’s incredible medieval theme park near Les Epesses. 35 hectares of fun for all ages, featuring a 6,000 seat Roman coliseum complete with chariot races, gladiators and lions. Watch stunning battle re-enactments. There is also a massive medieval fort and water theatre. A must is a visit after dark to watch the spectacular Cinescenie show.

Angers

The ancient capital of Anjou, Angers on the River Maine is the gateway to the Western Loire Valley and also birthplace of the House of Plantagenet. Chateau d’Angers dominates the town, a must to visit for its fine views of the city and magnificent ‘Apocalypse Tapestry’ woven in the fourteenth century. Parts of the original 70 large panels were used as blankets and doormats in the French revolution but amazingly a great deal survived. The old town is rich with museums, cafes and elegant shops. Around the river is a district known for its nurseries and market gardens, growing early vegetables, fruit and flowers. The popular orange liqueur - Cointreau - is only distilled in Angers and the surrounding district. Tour the distillery set up by Adolphe Cointreau in 1849 but note, photography is restricted - the recipe is still a family secret!

Les Sables d’Olonne

The smart resort of Les-Sables-d’Olonne has shops, markets and regular regattas. In November 2008, sailing enthusiasts can see the start of the notorious Vendee Globe Challenge which begins every 4 years from the Port Olona Marina. Long stretches of fine sand, golf course, casino and the marina which has berths for over 1,000 vessels make this a popular resort year-round.

Ile de Noirmoutier

Linked to the mainland by a toll bridge, you’ll find sandy beaches, pine and oak forests alongside working salt marshes, fishing and farming. Tourist offices can provide walking and cycle routes through the oak and pine forests where the island’s emblem, the mimosa, flowers in the heart of winter. Look for rare sea pinks and purple wallflowers along the fragile dunes and see protected birds at the Mullernbourg Marsh Nature Reserve - open 11-12.30am and 17.30-19.00pm in summer for guided tours. Watch salt gatherers on the road from Noirmoutier to l’Epine. The island has several marinas and sailing schools and sailing trips in old fishing boats are popular with tourists. There is a twelfth century castle, Romanesque church and excellent market in the town of Noirmoutier.

WESTERN LOIRE GEOGRAPHY AND NATURAL BEAUTY

Parc Naturel Regional de Briere

Walk, cycle, or even travel by canoe around the second largest marsh in France after the Camargue. The wet meadows and reedy marshes are a safe haven for many rare species of animals, plants and birds -such as merlins in winter and red kites in summer. Visitors should look for the typical thatched roofed houses in Brieron villages. The watery landscape is seen best from the many walking and cycling routes, or take a trip in a traditional flat-bottomed barge from Saint-Andre-des-Eaux or Saint-Lyphard.

Parc Naturel Regional de Normandie et Maine

This huge 235,000 hectare park straddles the Normandy and Western Loire borders and is a region of ancient forests - the home of boar and deer - and a diverse landscape of moorland, forest, rivers and streams. The ideal area for outdoor activities; mountain biking is popular on the range of hills known as the Alpes Mancell.

WESTERN LOIRE CUISINE AND WINE

Cremet d'Anjou, dessert with strawberries, Western Loire, France Traditionally, Western Loire is known for its seafood, fruits and vegetables. 70% of France’s mushroom crop comes from here, and Saumur and Noirmoutier are famous for their potatoes. Fish from the River Loire and the Atlantic is plentiful; try succulent oysters or eels. Many fish dishes come in ‘beurre blanc’, a delightful sauce made from white wine, shallots and butter. Try the Le Man’s speciality of ‘rillettes’ potted pork, and canard (duck) a l’orange using Cointreau liqueur from Angers.

Wine lovers will find plenty to choose from amongst the red, white and fruity roses of Anjou and Saumur or the dry white Muscadet from around Nantes. Brioche Vendeene makes a tasty snack or forget the calories and indulge in ‘Cremet d’Anjou’ - made with eggs, crème fraiche, icing sugar and vanilla - with a fresh fruit topping.

WESTERN LOIRE ACTIVITIES AND BEACHES

Wine-tasting

The vineyards of Maine et Loire are amongst the first you will see travelling south through western France. From here come the red, white and fruity rose vintages of Saumur and Anjou. Many whites from Saumur are made by the champagne method.

The commercial port of Nantes is the ideal place to sample Muscadet, the dry white wine produced locally - perfect with seafood. There are numerous cellars in the area such as Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire and Muscadet de Sevre et Maine.

Take a leisurely drive along the Western Loire wine trail from Nantais to Montsoreau with plenty of stops for sampling along the way.

The Cointreau distillery in Angers also gives visitors the opportunity to try its famous orange liqueur

Beach, La Baule

A summer resort with a fine, seemingly endless beach regarded as one of the best in Europe and a pleasant town with winding streets and giant pines. It has an unusually mild microclimate and is exceptionally warm for the region. The resort also offers stylish boutiques, friendly restaurants, thalassotherapy and golf.

Windsurfing, sailing and sand-yachting, St-Brevin-Les-Pins

A great family resort for swimming and watersports across the Loire Estuary from St Nazaire. Conditions for kite surfing, land yachting and speed sailing are ideal on the vast stretches of hard sand. The dunes make great trails for dune buggies and where the forest comes down to the beach at La Rousselleries is the ideal place for relaxing under the shade of oaks and mimosas.

Fishing, Mayenne River

The beautiful Mayenne River offers hundreds of first class fishing locations along its 200km waterway and is an angler’s paradise. Anglers can choose either fly or coarse fishing, from the river banks or by boat. Night fishing here is a speciality and can be organised from Fraimbault des Prieres. There is also an abundance of fishing lakes in the area.

WESTERN LOIRE EVENTS

The Cadre Noir de Saumur, April to September, 2 Thursdays each month

Fabulous equestrian show of French horsemanship. The Cadre Noir Cavalry School was founded in the nineteenth century, although an equestrian school was founded in Saumur as early as the sixteenth century under the reign of Henri IV. The School’s name comes from the distinctive black uniform worn by the riders.

24-Hour Race (14 - 15 June 2008) - Le Mans

Legendary 24 hour sports car race testing the skill and endurance of both driver and car.

Held first in 1923. Arrive before race day to see cars practicing on the tracks and parade of drivers and cars through the streets of Le Mans. Enthusiasts will enjoy the boutiques and merchandising outlets set up during the race period. Entry to actual racetrack events can be expensive.