Chateaux of the Loire

8 Days | From £1988pp

France ( Best airport: Bordeaux)

The great castles of the Loire Valley are an incredible example of French legacies. Chenonceau, Cheverny, and Chaumont offer examples of the tremendous flowering of French culture during the Renaissance period and can be visited on this seven night trail ride offering fast riding through the royal hunting forests. You will journey across the Loire Valley, stopping at its majestic castles en route. Beautiful scenery, responsive horses and great food and wine, this is the ideal trail for lovers of French history, culture and architecture (not to mention food!).

The Riding

The pace on this trail is varied to suit the terrain with long periods of walk and plenty of opportunities to canter and gallop. The scenery encompasses rolling hills, green, sun-drenched vineyards, woods and forests.

Riders must be comfortable in all paces and happy to do some fast riding in open spaces on an obedient and responsive horse. Riders need to be in good physical condition, you will be in the saddle for between 4-6 hours per day. The weight limit is 90kg.

Level of Riding and Fitness

All riders should be experienced at all paces and should be in good physical condition to participate in this trail. This is important for the safety and enjoyment of the group and especially for the health of the horses. These are active horse rides where you will be riding for 5 to 6 hours a day.

Guides and Group Size

As well as being experienced horsemen and women, your guides on this trail have a thorough knowledge of local history. All guides are multilingual French/English and the group size is between 5-10.

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The Horses

The horses are pure or cross-bred Arabian or Thoroughbreds and warmbloods varying in height from 15.2hh to 17hh. The horses are exceptionally well-schooled and good-mannered at this destination and many of them have been bred and trained by your hosts themselves. The tack used is specialist trail riding saddles and you will be provided with saddlebags, a rain poncho, and a water bottle. Horses are ridden in Myler bits which help to facilitate effective communication between horse and rider and a relaxed and happy horse. Helmets are not mandatory but are strongly recommended.

Tack and Riding Equipment

Tack: You will use JMS French trail saddles, which blend the best of English and western style saddles to create a comfortable trail saddle. Horses are all in bridles with gentle Myler bits.

View of Chenonceaux, a small medieval town in Provence, France

Accommodation and Dining

Accommodation on this trail is in small, boutique hotels, nestled into the rural surroundings. You’ll stay in a different location each night of the trail, some have swimming pools. Most of the rooms will have an en suite bathroom although this cannot be guaranteed. Rooms are twins or doubles with single rooms available for a supplement. The luggage is transported in the support vehicle and transferred to each accommodation so you only need to carry daily essentials in your saddle bags.

Continental breakfasts are served at your hotel each morning typically consisting of a hot drink (tea, coffee, hot chocolate), juice, breakfast pastries (croissant, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins), bread, butter and jam, and sometimes yogurt. Lunches are traditional french pique-niques, expect white tablecloths covered in fresh baguettes, sumptuous cheeses, salads and tasty charcuterie, along with a bottle of something local. Dinner will be typical French fare comprising several courses of regional specialities. Please note that wine is not included with dinners.

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Gallery

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive at Montrichard train station to meet your fellow riders and hosts. Transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight where you can discuss the upcoming trail with the rest of the group. Accommodation at HOTEL L’AUBAGE located in the heart of the Loire Valley. The Auberge de l’Ecole offers 10 comfortable and personalized bedrooms. A hot tub and WiFi internet access.

Day 2 Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before meeting the horses. This morning's ride takes you toward the village of Fougères-sur-Bièvre where a delicious lunch awaits you at the foot of the village's 15th century castle. In the afternoon you will ride on to the beautifully furnished chateau of Cheverny, they’ll be time to step inside and admire the castle's architecture. This historic castle has been owned by the same family for seven centuries. Accommodation at the HOTEL DU CYGNE. The hotel has 20 rooms and a swimming pool.

Days 3 After breakfast, ride towards Chambord, the largest castle in the Loire area and a unique architectural jewel set in an extensive natural forest reserve of over 10,000 acres. Enjoy a lengthy picnic lunch and spend the afternoon visiting the castle before riding on to the 16th century castle of Villesavin castle, considered one of the best-preserved in the region. Accommodation at the HOTEL DU CYGNE. The hotel has 20 rooms and a swimming pool.

Day 4 Today you will ride through the forest of Chambord to the castle of Beauregard where you can enjoy a freshly prepared picnic lunch. The castle was a former hunting lodge of Chambord and is famous for its hundreds of portraits of well-known characters from French history. There will be time to visit the castle before riding on to Candé-dur-Beuvron. Dinner and overnight at a local hotel. Accommodation at HOSTELLERIE DU CHATEAU: Located in the charming village of Chaumont sur Loire, listed in the World Heritage list of UNESCO and famous for its International Garden Festival. The hotel is 3 star and includes 15 rooms along with a restaurant with traditional meals using seasonal products. In the summer, the meals are served on the terrace.

Day 5 Today you’ll set off on a leisurely morning ride along the banks of the Loire river, heading towards the village of Chaumont-sur-Loire, granted UNESCO World Heritage status thanks to its impressive 15th century fortress. Following a picnic lunch close to the castle, there will be time to visit before enjoying a short ride across the Sudais forest in order to reach your hotel for the night. Accommodation at HOSTELLERIE DU CHATEAU: Located in the charming village of Chaumont sur Loire, listed in the World Heritage list of UNESCO and famous for its International Garden Festival. The hotel is 3 star and includes 15 rooms along with a restaurant with traditional meals using seasonal products. In the summer, the meals are served on the terrace.

Day 6 Today you will travel further along the Loire river, passing many small beaches until you reach Amboise where you will stop for today's picnic and can visit the castle. The 15th century was a time of great wealth for Amboise with the French kings of the time all adding to the embellishment of the castle. In the afternoon, you’ll cross the forest of Amboise to reach Saint Martin le Beau where your host family, which manages the hotel and the family restaurant, will treat you to a tasting of their wines. Dinner and overnight at hotel. Accommodation at L'HOTEL LE PIGEONNIER DU PERRON. French philosopher Rene Descartes once lived in Poitou-Charentes, more specifically in Availles-en-Chatellerault? His handsome 15th-century residence is now a lovely, distinctive hotel from which guests can admire the square pigeon house that gave the property its name. The hotel has 14 rooms and 2 suites. They are full of charm with their parquetry and understated decor. Many have a slightly rustic style with stones and exposed beams.

Day 7 After breakfast, ride down into the Cher Valley, where you can enjoy some long canters along the banks of the river until you reach the magnificent 16th century castle of Chenonceau. Indulge in a final picnic lunch in the grounds and a short visit to the castle before heading back to the town of Pontlevoy for your final night. Accommodation at HOTEL L’AUBAGE located in the heart of the Loire Valley. The Auberge de l’Ecole offers 10 comfortable and personalized bedrooms. A hot tub and WiFi internet access.

Day 8 After breakfast, you will be transferred to the train station for onward travel or to make your way home.