France’s Loire Valley Chateau to Chateau Trail
2008 Itinerary

DAY 1 Arrival and transfer (not included) from the TGV station in Saumur to Chateau de Beaulieu or Domaine de Mestre in the lovely town of Saumur, best known for its sparkling wines, mushrooms and fine horse riders.  Dinner and briefing at chateau.

DAY 2 Today you will ride to a Champigny troglodyte cellar from the chateau.  These caves, cut into the Tufa cliffs beside the Loire and other limestone-rich areas, are used as dovecotes, chapels, farms, wine cellars and even homes with some dating back to the 12th century.  Passing by the local vineyards, with a magnificent view of the Chateau of Saumur, you will have a chance to breathe the fresh air while listening to the steady beat of your horse’s hooves.  Arriving to the troglodyte cellar on horseback is an unforgettable experience and will help you see this area as it was hundreds of years ago.  You will have a wine tasting in an authentic troglodyte cave followed by a gourmet lunch in a local restaurant.  After lunch, riding in the Champigny vineyards and along the Loire River you will wind your way to Chateau de Montsoreau.  According to the Alexandre Dumas novel, La Dame de Montsoreau, the jealous Count Charles de Chambes forced his wife to lure her lover, the lecherous governor of Anjou, Bussy D’Amboise, to his death here.  Although the story is based on historical fact, the murder actually took place at a chateau on the opposite bank of the river. Continuing on you will arrive on horseback into the interior of the Abbaye de Fontevraud.  This abbey is the largest and most extraordinary of its kind in France and was run for nearly 700 years by aristocratic abbesses, almost half of them royal-born.  Afterward you will arrive to your chateau, Domaine de Mestre and have dinner with your hosts.

DAY 3 Begin the ride today to Chateau de Breze from Domaine de Mestre by way of the ample vineyards and through the majestic countryside.  This area brings to life a time long gone when French nobility would escape the activity of Paris and entertain in their country homes.   After lunch, ride out in the vineyards and countryside and through the woods to Chateau de Ternay, a family chateau where you will stay for the night.  The Count and Countess of Ternay will welcome you and are happy to explain the history and wonderful royal life of this chateau.

DAY 4 Begin today’s ride through the private woods of Chateau de Ternay, riding to the Chateau de la Mothe Chandeniers which was devastated during the French Revolution.  After lunch you will have brisk canters in the countryside along the grounds of some private chateaux and along the Vienne River.  Arriving into the town, you will discover the village of Chinon where Joan of Arc met Charles VII “le gentil dauphin” by the south bank of the river.  Overnight in the Hotel Gargantua, a XIV century hotel.  You will have a visit (included) to the chateau in Chinon prior to dinner.  This town is a splendid medieval city and was the home of Francois Rabelais (a very well known French writer and satirist of the XIVcentury).

DAY 5 Today you will ride to the Chateau d’Usse through the Chinon forest.  This chateau is often called the sleeping beauty chateau as it is said to have inspired 17th century French author Charles Perrault to write the fairy tale The Sleeping Beauty.  After lunch, your ride takes you to Azay le Rideau with wonderful long canters along the Indre River, the dense forests and open countryside.  Dinner in Manor de la Remoniere will be memorable for the wonderful cuisine and the view at night of Chateau d’Azay le Rideau from the terrace of the manor.

DAY 6 Ride to Chateau de Villandry, famous for its most wonderful gardens which are made by skillful gardeners who mixed flowers and vegetables in strictly geometric patterns, the result of which is a fascinating insight into a typical Renaissance garden on three levels.  Continuing on you will ride to the Chateau de Sache which was the “home away from home” of the novelist Honore de Balzac and the place where he experienced the most productive period in his highly industrious career.  Ride to your chateau for the evening, Manor de la Remoniere.  Independent dinner at the chateau or in town, less than a mile away.

DAY 7 After breakfast you may choose to visit the Château d’Azay le Rideau or transfer to the TGV Tours Saint Pierre des Corps station (train reservation recommended).