Why does the Loire River valley, or Val de Loire, seem untouched? Because much of it is untouched: flowing westwards towards the Atlantic, some 280 kilometres of land on either side of this, the longest river in France, is protected by UNESCO World Heritage status. That means the rolling vineyards and manicured gardens surrounding its medieval châteaux look much the same today as they did when kings and queens strolled by the Loire. I had the chance to cycle through the region recently, and was wowed by its beauty—and, of course, its cuisine. Here are some highlights of the journey. 

 

Centre Ville, Saumer. #visitloirevalley

A post shared by Bonnie Munday (@bonnie_munday) on Jun 9, 2017 at 2:16pm PDT

I travelled to France with two friends via Air Transat, which conveniently offers seasonal flights from Montreal direct to Nantes. From nearby Angers—home of one of the world’s best-preserved medieval tapestries, Apocalypse—we travelled east by bicycle to Saumur. It’s an equestrian town with a lovely slate-stone enhanced town centre, where we dined well on succulent lamb and a soft Loire red wine as the summer sun went down.

 

Possibly the best view a guest house room ever had. #langeais L’Ange est Reveur #chambredhote @francefestive #francefestive #visitloirevalley

A post shared by Bonnie Munday (@bonnie_munday) on Jun 10, 2017 at 11:13am PDT

We arrived in tiny Langeais after pedalling across a bridge that looked like something straight from a woodcut in a book of fairytales — as did the Château de Langeais situated smack dab in the town centre. We stayed at L’Ange est Reveur, a gorgeous and friendly bed and breakfast. The view of the château from my room, pictured above, needs no words. And, dining at the renowned Au Coin Des Halles with its Michelin-starred chef was superb.

We were delighted to find the next morning that it was market day in Langeais. There were flowers, seedlings, fresh leafy greens, cheeses, a variety of mushrooms for which the Loire Valley is famous, and a huge array of olives. We’d have loved to stay here for another day or two and indulge in the market’s offerings, but it was time to move on to our next stop.