The best road cycling routes around La Ville-Aux-Dames

It's very calm and relaxing. Ideal place for a snack break

Forget Chambord allure. This castle was: A. a strategic fortress B. a royal residence C. part of the defenses along the Loire It dates largely from the 11th to the 15th century and has a primarily military appearance. Sturdy, compact, no-frills. It is located: – right on the Loire – next to the Pont Wilson – between Place Anatole France and Vieux Tours

The Cher is a French river, which flows through the departments of Allier, Cher, Creuse, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher and Puy-de-Dôme, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Centre-Val de Loire and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions.

beautiful view of the Cher

The absolute highlight for me was the park! The way you can "hide" vegetables in the beautiful flowerbeds was unique. Afterwards, a little siesta in the provided lounge chairs, shaded by large old trees, was priceless.

Built on the remains of the Gallo-Roman city of Caesarodunum, Saint-Gatien Cathedral stands in the heart of the city. This city was once one of the most famous places of pilgrimage in the West and is still one of the capitals of the Pays de Loire. Opening hours: Saint-Gatien Cathedral is open every day of the week from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm. From Easter to 11 November, you can meet the volunteers of the Présence Cathédrale association in the cathedral. You can recognise them by their badges. They can help you with your visit and answer your questions. For guided tours and group visits, which can take place all year round by reservation, please contact 07 66 39 84 11. For more information, visit their website: https://visite-cathedrale-tours.fr/ You can also visit the cloister of La Psalette, which is accessible via the cathedral.

This impressive suspension bridge spans the Loire between La Chapelle-aux-Naux and Langeais and was originally completed in 1849. The bridge has been repaired and rebuilt many times and has a two-lane road over the Loire. On the Langeais side, a walk along the banks of the Loire, on both sides of the bridge, is highly recommended. The Langeais bridge is a stubborn bridge. It has been rebuilt five times! The story begins in 1848, the year in which King Louis Philippe authorised the construction of a "wire bridge", as it was then called (bridge 1). But wires are excellent lightning conductors! And 10 years after its opening in 1859, the bridge collapsed into the Loire after a heavy storm, its deck and suspension elements. Two years later in 1861, the bridge was repaired and operational again as a toll bridge (bridge 2). But shortly afterwards, in 1870, war broke out and the advance of the Prussian enemy had to be slowed down. Boom! Bridge was blown up (bridge 3) The fourth was completed in 1914, but then came the... car! They were heavy, they came and went! The bridge therefore had to be extensively rebuilt to bear the weight of modernity. This happened in the 1930s, and the opportunity was taken to decorate the bridge with its very special Gothic pillars, which reflected the Gothic style of the castle; the two form a mirror image. Bridge 4 was built! All is well, all is well... but then it is June 1940. And this time it is the Germans who have to be stopped. To stop the invader, the bridge was blown up again. After first using a ferry and then a temporary footbridge, the inhabitants waited until 1949 for a bridge over the Loire (bridge 5). The bridge of Langeais is the only bridge between Tours and Port Boulet. It is now a rather imposing bridge with a turbulent history.

Beautiful view of the castle and its gardens. Repair stop, I think, for the bikes.