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Tours > Blois
77km
or 100 km - a variation in two stages: Tours - Chenonceaux (48 km)
and Chenonceaux - Blois (45 km)
A Royal stage. A real journey into the heart of the history of France, meeting among others, Leonardo da Vinci at Clos-Lucé in Amboise, Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médici in Chenonceaux, the Duke of Guise murdered in the Château de Blois, where the symbols of Francis 1st remain carved in the stone. The Loire Valley in all its splendour, combining scenic beauty, magnificent castles, and also food and wine heritage.
Access
 | By train
Tours: Average of 6 trains per day that allow bikes, travelling to Nantes, Tours and Orléans.
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Itinerary
Leave the city of Tours along the south bank of the Loire by cycle path, leading to Montlouis-sur-Loire. The route then climbs into the hills and will only come back to the Loire near Amboise, a must-see town with its royal castle overlooking the river and the Clos-Lucé manor house where Leonardo da Vinci lived.
From Amboise, cyclists have two options for travelling to Chaumont-sur-Loire, where a stop is absolutely required to visit the Château de Chaumont and its famous International Garden Festival, open daily from 22 April to 17 October:
1) Continue straight on towards Blois. The signposted "Loire à Vélo" (Loire by Bike) route takes to the hills once again for fifteen kilometres. Two sections of cycle path run alongside the river. The first, before Rilly-sur-Loire, is very short. The second starts 2km before you get to Chaumont-sur-Loire (and runs for a further 6km, towards Candé-sur-Beuvron).
2) Go down towards Chenonceaux and its iconic castle. Two routes are available:
- One consists of going back on yourself to the junction to the amazing pagoda of Chanteloup, heading towards the pagoda and then passing through the forest of Amboise on straight unpaved tracks. The route then rejoins the Cher near the Dierre aerodrome, carrying on along a path to Chenonceaux.
- The other option only takes paved roads. Leave Amboise in the direction of the Mini-Chateaux park. Once there, continue on along small country roads to Civray-de-Touraine, not far from Chenonceaux and the entrance to the château.
From Chenonceaux, to rejoin the EuroVelo6 route at Chaumont-sur-Loire, just follow the signs put up in 2010. The steepest section comes within the first few kilometres at Chisseaux, leaving the Cher Valley.
From Chaumont-sur-Loire, a beautiful cycle path winds along the river to lead to Candé-sur-Beuvron. The Loire by Bike route then veers away from the river, towards Chailles, passing not far from three private châteaux. The Loire river comes back into sight around 7 km before Blois - a truly majestic part of this stage. (For people sleeping at the campsite, you must still have 6 more kilometres to travel before you can give your bike a hard-earned rest.)
Tourist destinations
TOURS
La place Plumereau
Beautifully restored and largely pedestrianised, the old town in Tours is best experienced through its pavement cafés in the Place Plumereau (the "Place Prum" for those in the know). Surrounded by beautiful half-timbered and stone houses, this is the perfect meeting spot for the city's many students.
Cathedral
Arriving in Tours, the two bell towers of the cathedral can be seen from afar. Since the 14th century, the city has been dedicated to Saint Gatien, the first bishop of Tours.
Musée du Compagnonnage - out of ordinary !
Inside the old Abbey of Saint-Julien, the Musée du Compagnonnage (Museum of the Guildsmen) has a set of extraordinary collections. Masterpieces from the 19th century, pieces from the Guildsmen (canes, gourds, colours), souvenir paintings, tools, archives, all the traditions and works of the Guildsmen around France, from the origins of the movement right up to the present day. A truly unique museum.
Amboise
Château Royal
The royal castle of Amboise and its landscaped gardens offer outstanding panoramic views over the Loire Valley. Each guided tour gives a unique perspective on this landmark in the history of France: its European political and artistic influence at the time of the Renaissance, the private life of the rulers of the time and the daily life and scenes of the Court. This landmark is open every day of the year (except 1st January and 25 December).
Clos-Lucé Manor house
The spirit of Leonardo da Vinci runs right the way through the manor house of Clos-Lucé, mingling with the memory of all the famous guests who stayed at the house. In the park, large-scale models show off some of the machines invented by the great Leonardo.
Chaumont-sur-Loire
The château, its grounds and stables
The château, its grounds and stables
Dating from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the castle was remodelled in the nineteenth century and was recently restored. Its medieval looks give the château an amazing atmosphere. The entrance, with its drawbridge flanked by towers, is immediately striking to visitors! But its long history also show bestowed it with monumental stables, giving an impression of the lifestyle of the aristocracy until the turn of the twentieth century.
Blois
Les p’tits Clous
These are four walking tours of Blois, marked with nails of bronze ('clou' being a nail, in French), designed to give visitors an understanding of French living for nearly the whole of the past millennium! Each circular circuit, about 2 kilometres long, enables you to explore a particular area of Blois.
A must-see in the Loire Valley, the Royal Castle of Blois is at once a museum of architecture and of the history of the castles of the Loire, as it has been expanded over the centuries, depending on the style in fashion in each era. Its courtyard is framed with Gothic, Renaissance and Classical façades. But a visit to the apartments is also de rigueur, because as the home of seven kings and ten queens of France, the Château de Blois is particularly evocative of the power and daily life of the Renaissance Court.
A performance venue, museum and interactive site on the magic arts, the Maison de la Magie extends over 2000m² and five levels: machines, optical games, large-scale illusions, the history of magic, the life and work Robert Houdin, evening theatre full of entertainment and magicians, and an 'hallucinoscope' designed and created by Gérard Majax, not to mention a true magic show that combines great illusions and magical effects!
Chenonceau
The detour...
Le château de Chenonceau
The "Ladies Castle" was built and fitted out on the whims of Catherine de Médici and Diane de Poitiers. A furnished castle, decorated with tapestries and rare old paintings, is always busy - this is the most visited private historic monument in France. Its special charm comes from its span over the river Cher. It looks almost like it rests on the water. This is the one true symbol for everybody of the "Châteaux of the Loire."
Pratctical informations
Bike rentals
 | Tours, Vouvray, Amboise, Onzain, Blois |
 | Amboise Loca Cycles 2b, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseaux |
 | Amboise VELOC www.veloc-amboise.com |
 | Mosnes Fantasy Forest |
 | Blois, Chambord Traîneurs de Loire Tél : 02 54 79 36 71 12 rue Saint Lubin - Blois Tél : 02 54 33 37 54 Place St Louis - Chambord |
Tourist offices
 | Tours Tél. 02 47 70 37 37 |
 | Amboise |
 | Chaumont-sur-Loire http://www.chaumont-sur-loire.eu |
 | Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire www.domaine-chaumont.fr |
 | Chenonceaux (sur la variante) http://www.chenonceaux-blere-tourisme.com/ |
 | Blois http://www.bloispaysdechambord.com/fr |
Maps and guidebooks
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