Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud and the best attractions in the Loire Valley from France For Families

Loire Attractions When we started preparing this section we had in mind all the fantastic chateaux that the Loire is famous for, but as we started thinking about the places we had visited in the region, it became clear that the area has equally as much to boast about when it comes to tourist attractions. Coupled with the chateaux.... caves, museums and delightful towns this makes for one of the most attractive regions for active holidays.

Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud
- good for ‘culture vultures’!

Location: In the centre of Fontevraud l’Abbaye, between Saumur and Chinon.
General Info: Fontevraud l’Abbaye. Tel No: 0(2) 41 51 73 52. Website. Open all year without interruption except for French public holidays, from 10.00 am and 9.00 in high season. Guided and un-guided visits possible.
Description: The abbey has a long and varied history and amazing architecture, not really surprising given that it was founded over 900 years ago in 1101. Apart from its time as one of the main abbeys of France it has also had a long history as a prison, which probably saved a lot of the abbey from dereliction. Thus the major restoration programme over the past 40 years has resulted in an opportunity to visit not only the main abbey Church but also the cloisters, kitchens and refectory. Today the abbey is a cultural centre for Western France and has an excellent musical programme with a series of summer concerts.
For the Children: Not a lot for children, - except some open space to run around - this is very much a cultural stop.

Our favourite attractions in the Loire valley:

     - Abbaye Royale de
       Fontevraud
     - Aquarium du Val de Loire
     - Maulévrier Japanese
       Gardens
     - Le Parc des Mini-Châteaux
     - Parc Naturel Regional
       Loire-Anjou-Touraine
     - Tepacap Adventure Park

Bicycle and Walking Trails: We spent a wonderful morning walking the vineyard route at Le Puy-Notre-Dame (W of Montreuil-Bellay). We learnt about the process of producing wine starting from cépage and terroir, to learning about the work of a vineyard owner throughout the year, to that final all important process of dégustation! All we needed at the end was someone to hand us a fortifying glass of wine but unfortunately that didn’t happen! It would be possible to go round these routes on a mountain bike (VTT in French) or there are plenty of other opportunities for cycling on designated cycle paths or simply along the quiet backroads. Cycling is a pleasure, as along the rivers it is fairly level while away from the main water-routes the countryside is gently undulating. The Tourist Office is a good first port of call for hiring bikes.

For more information visit our dedicated walking and cycling page.