Pays de la Loire, France travel guide
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 east - Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne and Sarthe
There are several castles and sights of interest to the east of the region. These inclue the tapestries at Angers, and of course the Château d'Angers
The castle in the town of Mayenne deserves a visit, and the popular town of Saumur is among the highlights, for both the town itself and for the Château de Saumur.
Two more castles that fall within this western part of the Pays de la Loire are those at Château de Brissac, the most western of the renowned Loire Valley chateaux, and the Chateau Plessis-Bourre. Both of these castles are very highly regarded. Yet another popular castle, this time south-west of saumur, is the Chateau Montreuil-Bellay (featured in our French castles section).
The Abbey at Fontevraud (south-east of Saumur) is one of the most extensive complexes of its type to be found anywhere in Europe.
Visit Le Mans...it's not just a race track, it also has a very interesting historical centre to the town. The quiet town of Baugé is also recommended. One of the most attractive villages in the region is found at Montsoreau - it is a classified 'most beautiful village' - and Asnieres-sur-Vegre is also a very pretty village on the side of a river.
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. (See also a feature about why the Loire Valley is now listed as a UNESCO World heritage Site)
See also our travel guide for the historical region of Anjou, which covers largely the same territory as the current department of Maine-et-Loire.
The west - Loire-Atlantique
This department is centred around Nantes - a busy and interesting town, and also home to Muscadet wine.
Close to Nantes visit the towns of Chateaubriant and Clisson.
Visit Guerande, a lovely walled town with an extensive historical centre on its own peninsula, next to the marshes of Grande-Brière.
The popular Loire-Atlantique coastline west of Nantes is divided in two parts by the Loire estuary:
(1) the Cote d'Amour (which itself includes the Cote Sauvage, Le Croisic and the lovely and popular La Baule) lies to the north of the Loire estuary.
(2) to the south of the Loire you find the Jade Coast and more resorts, such as the popular Pornic (be sure to walk along the coastal path from here) and Saint 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.
See our travel guide for the Vendee department of France to discover why it is so popular with visitors
The Rivers of the Pays-de-la-Loire
There are several rivers that cross the region, providing numerous opportunities to enjoy the water, whether you enjoy walking, cycling, or messing about in boats.
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.
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See also Pays de la Loire (version Francais)
