Castles & tourist sites

Duration: 2 days - Price: 105€ Because the Loire à Vélo is more than just a cycle route, the Pass Loire à Vélo invites you to discover all the facets of this legendary cycle route. Châteaux, tastings, museums, picnics, accommodation, activities, restaurants... Choose your itinerary between Tours and Orléans and take advantage of the many offers and benefits selected for the 48-hour Pass!   Suggested itineraries from Tours: > Day 1: Leave Tours for Villandry, this time following the Cher river. On the way, don't miss a visit to the Petrifying Caves of Savonnières. Then on to the Château de Villandry and its famous gardens. Before starting your tour, take time out for lunch at the foot of the château at La Doulce Terrasse, overnight stay recommended. > Day 2: The following day, cycle to the châteaux of Langeais or Azay-le-Rideau to discover these jewels of the Loire Valley. On your return to Tours, you can discover the ‘special sports’ snacks concocted by Au Tour du Vrac and then enjoy the city's many museums. Or   > Day 1: To get the day off to a good start, pick up a picnic prepared by the Chez Monsieur Henri restaurant in Tours, just a stone's throw from the bike hire points. You can enjoy it on a beach on the banks of the Loire before heading off to Amboise to visit its royal castle and medieval town. You can spend the night at the hotel La Maison Rabelais. > Day 2: First stop at Maison Bigot, a renowned establishment that will have prepared a packed lunch for you. Then, from Amboise, set off to conquer the ‘ladies’ castle’ of Chenonceau. Back at the starting point, those with a sweet tooth can try the snack option at Maison Bigot, with a view of the château! Find all the Pass offers and practical information here. This Pass includes bike hire, visits and activities as well as lunches and snacks at the following partners:  Bike hire: Roue Lib, Détours de Loire. Lunches and snacks: La Fourchette Paysanne, Chez Monsieur Henri, Maison Bigot, Le checkmate, La Doulce Terrasse, Sushi Shop, Cordier Traiteur, La Maison Rabelais, Popé coffee spot, Autour du VRAC, Le Cubrik. Places to visit: Domaine National de Chambord, Châteaux of Chenonceau, Beaugency, Domaine de Chaumont sur Loire, châteaux of Meung-sur-Loire, Villandry, Amboise, Clos Lucé, Azay-le-Rideau, Château and park of Langeais, Prieuré Saint-Cosme, Hôtel Goüin, CCC OD, Château de Tours, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours, Musée du Compagnonnage, Cloître de la Psalette, Tours Natural History Museum, Tours guided tour and coming soon, Orléans Fine Arts Museum, Balzac Museum, Savonnières petrifying caves, Orléans Floral Park, Hôtel Cabu - Museum of History and Archaeology, Orléans Museum for Biodiversity and the Environment, Joan of Arc House. Tastings: Maison Lacheteau, Les Fromages de Camille, Cave des producteurs de Vouvray, Vinaigrerie Martin Pouret. Sports & leisure: Petit train Orléanais, Petit train de Tours, boat trip in Orléans.

With 8,000 animals, the ZooParc de Beauval is home to the greatest diversity of animals in France. In 35 years, it has become the No. 1 zoo in France*, the most visited site in the Centre region and a company that has won national and international recognition and awards. In 2016, the ZooParc expanded once again, unveiling a facility that is unique in the world in terms of its design and scale: a vast enclosure for hippopotamuses, a species presented for the first time at Beauval. Leading a semi-aquatic life, the hippopotamuses enjoy a space featuring a pool lined with beaches, a river and a waterfall. A lagoon dotted with aquatic plants and inhabited by fish completes this exceptional complex.

A castle facade (drawbridge, towers, machicolations...), but on the garden side, a residence marked by the Renaissance style! In this castle located 200 metres from the Loire, the marriage between Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany sealed the attachment of Brittany to the kingdom of France. Richly furnished, this monument belongs to the Institut de France.

Imagine a palace delicately poised above the Loire, with gardens suspended between heaven and earth... It's hardly surprising that Amboise was a favorite site for the kings of France as they transformed their country during the Renaissance. Charles VIII and François I, Leonardo da Vinci and the iconic Queen Anne de Bretagne are all familiar faces here. Even today, the view is breathtaking! A 360° panorama of landscapes listed as a World Heritage Site. A castle open to nature, a haven of peace for birds, Amboise is also a place of innovation, where innovations such as the HistoPad enhance the experience. LPO Refuge.