The Loire gives Pays De La Loire a clear line: as its most important river, it crosses the region from east to west. Between Montsoreau and Chalonnes-sur-Loire, its banks are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the same time, the landscape opens onto the Atlantic: Pays De La Loire has 450 kilometres of coastline, 215 kilometres of beaches and 375 kilometres of navigable rivers. These regional distance figures may change over time. Alongside the river, bocage countryside, marshes and coastal areas shape the region, which is known for its remarkable wildlife and plant life.
Castles, abbeys and new art
Regional heritage sites include the castles along the Loire, Fontevraud Abbey, Solesmes Abbey, the Gallo-Roman site of Jublains and Sainte-Suzanne. Fontevraud is also home to the Musée d’art moderne–Collections nationales Martine et Léon Cligman. Visitor facilities, as well as the site’s cultural and artistic programme, are part of what it offers to the public.
Contemporary art also shapes the region’s discoveries. Highlights include FRAC, the green line of Voyage à Nantes and works by Buren. The Robert-Tatin open-air museum offers a different cultural experience. Historical sites and artistic offerings thus sit side by side, without reducing the region to a single era.
Wine country around Nantes and Clisson
By number of AOCs, Pays De La Loire is considered France’s third-largest wine-growing region. Its wine country covers nearly 40,000 hectares and includes 200 certified wine cellars offering visitor experiences. These figures for vineyard area and wine cellars are regional reference points and may change.
The 118-kilometre Voyage dans le Vignoble wine tourism route runs from Nantes to Clisson through vineyards and natural and heritage sites. Highlights along the route include Château de Goulaine and the viewpoint at Marais de Goulaine. A visitor route between Nantes and Clisson also links the Musée du Vignoble nantais, the Moulin du Liveau paper mill and medieval Clisson. Route details may be updated; check the current route before planning your trip.
Regional drinks include Muscadet, Cointreau, Pommeau, cider, liqueurs and eaux-de-vie. Gros-plant is considered a good match for seafood; Muscadet is a regional wine. The area thus brings together wine-growing and other drinks traditions, while the route also takes in natural and heritage sites.
Wetlands and trails in Brière
The Brière Regional Natural Park offers trips through a protected wetland on foot, by bicycle, in a flat-bottomed boat or by horse-drawn carriage. Options and individual activities may vary by season. In the restored traditional hamlet of Kerhinet, dating from the early 20th century, thatched houses, interpretation trails, washhouses and a bread oven form part of the landscape. A market selling local products is held there on Thursdays in summer.
Those wishing to explore Brière on foot can follow the GRP Tour de Brière, a 68-kilometre hiking trail through ten municipalities in the natural park. Possible wildlife sightings include spoonbills, grey herons, bluethroats, otters and nutria, as well as local cattle breeds. Check the current route before setting off.
Explore the region by train and bike
The cycling routes offer a variety of distances. La Loire à Vélo runs for 900 kilometres, connecting Cuffy near Nevers with Saint-Brevin-les-Pins in Loire-Atlantique. The Vélobuissonnière covers 250 kilometres along quiet roads and greenways between Alençon, Le Mans and Saumur. Conditions on this route may change; check the current route before setting out.
You can also plan your journey using trains and regional transport: TGV and TER connect towns along the Loire with Atlantic seaside resorts. Aléop is the regional transport network, bringing together trains, buses and boats for journeys around arrival cities and to regional heritage sites. Check the latest timetables when planning specific connections.
Discover more destinations: Loire-Atlantique, Maine-Et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe, Vendée, Burgundy, Saint Pierre, Brittany.
See the main travel overview: France.
