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Pays de la Loire, France tourist information

Pays de la Loire is found between southern Brittany and northern Poitou Charentes, on the western side of France. The departments in Pays de la Loire are: Loire-Atlantique; Maine-et-Loire; Mayenne, Sarthe and Vendée.

Often you will be in this region, when you think you are in the Loire Valley or Brittany so see also those areas. Note that Nantes, formerly the capital of Brittany, is in this region. Equally confusingly, the Loire Valley, containing most of the Loire valley chateau, is officially in the region called Centre, not in the Pays de la Loire!

The historical region of Anjou covers largely the same territory as the current department of Maine-et-Loire.

See also our dedicated Vendée travel guide

The east - Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne and Sarthe

- tapestries at Angers

- the castle in the town of Mayenne itself

- the popular town of Saumur deserves a visit (see also the Château de Saumur)

- in addition to the Château de Saumur (above) the Château d'Angers and Château de Brissac, most western of the renowned Loire Valley chateaux, fall in the Pays de la Loire region, as does the Chateau Plessis-Bourre.

- the Abbey at Fontevraud

Visit Le Mans...not just a race track! and the town of Baugé is also a recommended place to visit. Montsoreau is a classified most beautiful village and Asnieres-sur-Vegre is also a very pretty riverside village.

See also Chateau Montreuil-Bellay in our French castles section and a note about why the Loire Valley is now listed UNESCO World heritage Site

The troglodyte village at Rochemenier (between Saumur and Angers) is the largest in the Loire Valley, with a couple of 'cave farms' and an underground chapel - more than 20 rooms in total.

The west - Loire-Atlantique

This department is centred around Nantes - a busy and interesting town, and also home to Muscadet wine. Nearby see also the towns of Chateaubriant and Clisson.

Visit Guerande, a lovely walled town on its own peninsula

The popular Loire-Atlantique coastline west of Nantes includes the Jade Coast (around Pornic, south of the Loire estuary); and the Cote d'Amour (which itself includes the Cote Sauvage, Le Croisic and the lovely and popular La Baule) to the north of the Loire estuary.

To the south of the estuary there are more resorts, such as the popular Pornic (be sure to walk along the coastal path) and St Brevin les Pins.

The south-west Loire - Vendée

Best known for its beaches and seaside resorts such as Sables d'Olonne and Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, a couple of the other most well known highlights of the Vendee region are:

- the island of Noirmoutier

- the marshy region north of La Rochelle at Marais Poitevin - is a peaceful and unique marshland region

- the ruined abbey at Maillezais is on the border of the marshes. and the abbey at Nieul-sur-l'Autise is also in the Vendee.

- the village of Vouvant, a classified most beautiful village, is found in Vendée, as is the town of Fontenay-le-Comte.

But these don't explain why the Vendee is such a popular region with visitors! See our section dedicated to the Vendee department of France here: Vendée, France to discover more.

The Rivers

Loire River

The river Loire traverses the region (east to west) between Montsoreau and Saint-Nazaire by way of Saumur, Angers and Nantes.

Apart from these major and historically important towns there are numerous small villages and towns to explore along the course of the river - some of the most popular include Saint-Florent-le-Vieil, Le Thoureil and Montjean-sur-Loire.

Loir River

The Loir River arrives from the Loir-et-Cher department of the Val de Loire to follow its course through the Sarthe and Maine-et-Loire departments before joining the Loire at Angers. Less well known than 'big brother' the Loire River, the Loir is a pretty river to follow with plenty to enjoy en-route.

The river passes (east to west) via Poncé-sur-Loir; La Chartre; Chateau-du-Loir; Le Lude; La Fleche and Durzal. Each of these towns and villages, along with many others along the Loir, has its own attractions, and there are numerous churches, small castles, museums, gardens etc.

There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy river-based (eg canoeing) and outdoor (walking, cycling etc) activities.

Other rivers

Other rivers that pass through the region, and each with their own particular attractions and highlights, include the Erdre River, the Mayenne River and the Sarthe River.

The rivers above are all navigable, and the best way to see them is from a boat- available for rent in many places.

Departments of Pays de la Loire

• Loire-Atlantique
• Maine-et-Loire (Anjou)
• Mayenne
• Sarthe
• Vendee

Visit Loire (west) - travel information

Places to visit in Pays de la Loire - more information

To see a larger map which shows places to visit in Pays de la Loire in more detail (castles, classified most beautiful villages etc) see Map of Pays de la Loire. (Also includes a full alphabetical list of all places in Pays de la Loire in France This Way.)

See also Pays de la Loire (version Francais)