Walking tour of France Chateau- 05N/06Days

Arrival in Azay-le-Rideau

Night 1: at Hotel de Biencourt (spend the first of two nights here).
As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.

Free day in Azay-le-Rideau

Spend your day in Azay-le-Rideau visiting the splendid 16th-century château, one of the most important Renaissance buildings in France, and exploring the streets of this charming town.

Circular walk from Azay-le-Rideau: Approx 7.5km, 2hrs
In the afternoon, stroll across farmlands and woodlands to Goupillières, where a series of cave dwellings have been set up as they would have been when they were inhabited in the Middle Ages.

Azay-le-Rideau to Ussé: Approx 14.5km, 4.5hrs

From Azay you are taken by taxi to the Maurice Dufresne Museum, whose fabulous automotive and machinery collection you may like to view before beginning today’s route. This traces the riverside as it heads through floodplains and along levées (dykes), offering good bird-watching opportunities along the way. As you approach your destination – the Le Clos d’Ussé – you are rewarded with lovely views of Ussé’s fairy-tale château.

Ussé to Chinon: Approx 17.5km, 5.5hrs

We recommend that you start the day by visiting Ussé’s beautifully furnished and very romantic château, thought to have been the inspiration for Perrault’s tale of Sleeping Beauty. Your walk begins with a gentle ascent away from the River Indre on which Ussé is located, after which you follow good tracks through a centuries-old hunting forest towards Chinon. The last section is along an ancient trail along the escarpment above the River Vienne that forms the main approach to Chinon in the Middle Ages and is dotted with troglodytic dwellings. Your hotel Hotel de France for the next two nights is located in the Old Town.

Free day in Chinon

Surrounded by high walls, Chinon’s Old Town contains winding streets of half-timbered medieval houses that lead down to the river. You can while away your time in the picturesque main square, visit museums dedicated to Joan of Arc and Richard – explore the vast 12th-century fortress, or enjoy a wander around the wine museum.

Chinon to Fontevraud: Approx 17.5km, 5hrs

From Chinon, you walk along the willow-lined banks of the River Vienne, before crossing rolling pastureland and woodland to historic Fontevraud, and La Croix Blanche for two nights.

Free day in Fontevraud

You can spend your last day in a variety of ways. The village is famed for its magnificent abbey which houses the tombs of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard, ‘Coeur de lion’, among others, and is worth a leisurely visit. Alternatively, you could opt for one of our two suggested walks into the surrounding countryside:-

Circular walk via Candes-St-Martin: Approx 14.5km, 4.5hrs
This route takes you through woodland and farmland to the historic villages of Candes-St-Martin and Montsoreau beside the Loire. After lunch overlooking the river, you pass the vineyards that produce the refreshing and delicious wines of Touraine and Anjou.

Circular walk from Fontevraud: 8km, 2.5hrs
This shorter route is a gentle stroll through the woodland around Fontevraud.