The best traffic-free bike rides around Bourgueil

We visited the castle in July 2025, the moat is empty and it all locked up but unoccupied. Its worth having a look at because you can get a good view through the front fence and gate.

For those who want to discover some art objects.

The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is one of the largest monastic communities in Europe dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a place with a rich history, located in the heart of the Loire Valley and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The abbey is a unique cultural site! An abbey with a royal destination, a formidable prison is today a place of creation (museum of modern art).

History in brief Antiquity: the site is strategically located on a promontory and has been inhabited for 3,000 years. It was not fortified until the end of the Roman Empire. Middle Ages: in 1154, the new King of England, Henry II Plantagenet, became ruler of an empire stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees and made Chinon his continental capital. He had a large palace built next to the fortress, which has now disappeared. In 1189, abandoned by his sons, Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland, and fleeing from the King of France, he eventually died there. Philippe Auguste had the defensive Tour du Coudray built there after the siege of 1205. Renaissance: in 1454, the fortress became the main residence of Queen Marie d'Anjou, who lived there without her husband. She spent lavishly on decorating the house to her taste. From the 16th century onwards, the fortress was gradually abandoned and fell into disrepair. Despite the dangerous nature of the terrain, it became a public promenade in 1824 and was listed as a monument in 1840. The restoration of the estate began in 1854 thanks to the efforts of the writer Prosper Mérimée. Source: https://loirelovers.fr/en/visit-royal-fort-chinon/

Place of laughter and tears. The theatre is located in the heart of Chinon and dates from 1922. It is one of the oldest theatres in France with a balcony that is still in use.

The Tourist Office of Azay-Chinon Val de Loire welcomes you all year round to discover our city. A must to save time here. Well prepared means no regrets about lost time. Opening hours From 1 July to 31 August : Monday to Saturday from 9:30 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 19:00. Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00. From 2 May to 30 June and from 1 to 31 September : Monday to Saturday from 9:30 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00. Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00. From 1 October to 30 April : Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 18:00. Closed on Sundays and public holidays / Sunday and Easter Monday: from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00.

Tough calf biter. Here you know why there are gears on your bike.

Fontevraud-l'Abbaye is located in the natural region of the Loire Valley, listed as a "living cultural landscape" by UNESCO. As its name suggests, the history and present of the municipality are closely linked to the Abbey of Notre-Dame, founded in 1099. The abbey presents the originality of being part of a mixed order, but led by abbesses until the Revolution. was the necropolis of the Plantagenet dynasty. The recumbent figures of Richard the Lionheart, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine are still preserved there. The vast abbey complex was transformed by Napoleon I into a penal colony and then into a "central house". This extraordinary prison closed its doors in 1963. While the abbey church and the various monastic sites were rehabilitated, the entire old abbey has since housed a prestigious cultural centre with, among other things, a renowned art museum, welcoming meetings and artists in residence. Art, history and heritage are highlighted throughout the year.