Day 8: Angers - Visit the Royal Citadel of Loches - What to see in Montrésor - Bourges
We begin the month of September on this trip to the Loire Valley first thing in the morning at the Ace Hôtel Angers where after a fairly complete breakfast, for which we have paid 8 euros, we go directly to continue with the route we have planned for today, where you have to visit Loches and enjoy all the places to see in Montrésor that we have in mind, one of the most beautiful villages in France.
Route of the day in the Loire Valley
Today will take us from Angers to Loches, where we will visit its castle and its historic center and then go to what they say is one of the most beautiful villages in France, where we will enjoy a route that will take us to places what to see in Montrésor more essential, for later, end the day in Bourges, where we will stay the last night of this incredible trip.
As we mentioned earlier, the first point of today's route is visit the Royal Citadel of Loches which is about an hour and a half from Angers and 153 kilometers, a journey that we make surrounded by incredible landscapes, as has been the entire route through the Loire Castles and charming villages, in which as it has been happening since we arrived, We have to stop ourselves so as not to stop at each one of them to enjoy and savor them to the fullest.
Today is much more complete, than the previous days, even yesterday when we visited the Angers Castle, since we have some more driving time and although we will not make too many visits, having more car time, the day we will probably extend it a little more than we have done the previous days of the trip.
Like these two days ago, it has dawned quite clear, although temperatures have fallen with respect to the first days of the trip, in which we exceed 38 degrees, now being with an average of 20 degrees during the warmest hours of the day.
And so, with the route of the day already well defined, when it is 8:30 in the morning and after a couple of well-loaded coffees, we make our way to Loches, paying on the road, which we do mostly by highway , 9.81 euros.
We arrive at Loches when a few minutes past 10 in the morning, where we park directly in the parking lot that is right in front of the train station, which is free and from where we have perfect access to the historic area and the Royal Citadel of Loches , which we will not visit, but we did not want to miss its exterior and the town, which is another of the most charming in the country.
Loches
Loches is a small charming town, with small streets that start from the station to the historic center, for which we advise you to lose yourself without a fixed direction, enjoying only the walk, the many shops full of charm and of course, the terraces that They seem to be screaming for you to feel and enjoy the best views of the local coffee in hand.
Loches Street
The visit to this small town can take you about an hour and a half or two hours, taking things very quietly, going up to the Royal Citadel of Loches, although without visiting its interior, and even stopping to have a drink in one of the many coffee shops or restaurants in the area.
Loches and the Royal Citadel in the background
Loches
As we mentioned yesterday, this area of France is a real danger if you like plants, something that you can assume, we cannot resist and we fall again, buying some plants in a little store next to the parking lot, in a Beautiful area of Loches, taking advantage of the fact that today is the last day we will spend on the road, making sure that the plants will arrive well at home and will be another of the memories that we take from this incredible trip, which we are enjoying so much.
Loches
A few minutes pass at 11:30 when we return to the car to get on the way to the next point of the route today, which will take us to know the places what to see in Montrésor, one of the villages considered more beautiful in France, more essential.
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- Excursion to the Loire Castles
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Montrésor is about 20 minutes from Los Loches and 17 kilometers we travel enjoying an incredible sunny day, perfect for this area of France and surrounded by villages full of charm, as we have been doing all these days on the road.
We arrive when it is 12:30 in the morning, parking right at the entrance of the town, in a parking lot of a small supermarket, where there are also a couple of fuel pumps, and after meeting at the entrance of the town, no we need more than a few minutes to understand the reason why Montrésor is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France and its streets are really charming, something that is already sublime when we enter the walk that runs parallel to the river and reveals unique perspectives of the houses, the castle and the tower.
Monster
What to see in Montrésor
What to see in Montrésor
As we said before, this town, considered one of the most beautiful in France, we could say, without fear of being wrong, that it is one of the most special places we have been. Although there are not many things to see in Montrésor, it is precisely there where its incredible appeal lies and that the perfectly designed locality seems to be designed for the tranquility and enjoyment of its inhabitants and visitors.
We recommend you start the walk at the entrance of the town, something that will allow you to take a tour of the most interesting places to see in Montrésor, even in a special way, since always from our perspective, the view will go in crescendo, taking you through corners that we are sure, it will take you long to forget.
Les Balcons de L'Indrois. River side walk
Leaving the gas station at the entrance of the town, where you can leave the car in the supermarket parking, just follow a few meters and turn right to enter Les Balcons de L'Indrois, a beautiful park that runs parallel to the l'Indrois river, which is a true wonder.
What to see in Montrésor
Here you can not only enjoy the vegetation, but also have one of the best perspectives of the town, the castle and the old fortress.
Montrésor views from Les Balcons de L'Indrois
Tour of Montrésor
Once you have reached the end of Les Balcons de L'Indrois, you must cross a small wooden bridge and turn left to enter the Rue Abel Marinier, one of the streets what to see in Montrésor, where you will begin to see you surrounded by honey-colored stone houses, charming and careful to detail, in which at this time of year, flowers are protagonists.
Monster
Rue Abel Marinier. What to see in Montrésor
For us this is one of the most beautiful streets of the town, where you can enjoy a pleasant walk, in solitude, with unique views of the surroundings, surrounded by unique landscapes, which will make you feel like in a story and that once again corroborate the reason why Montrésor is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France.
Rue Abel Marinier. What to see in Montrésor
Once you reach the end of the Rue Abel Marinier, you will take the Gran Rue for a few meters, to reach a stone arch, where we advise you to turn left to take the Rue Xavier Branicki, another of the streets what to see in Montrésor, in which the houses seem to be even more protagonists of a story.
Monster
After traveling this street, which runs parallel to the castle and the fortress, when you reach the height of number 36, you can turn right to meet the Grand Rue again, where after walking a few meters you will find the Office of Tourism and Café de la Ville, the restaurant in which we decided to eat, when they are just after 1 pm, and where we decided on a menu and a meat tartare, more beer and water and two coffees for 41 euros .
Café de la Ville
And so, when there are a few minutes to three in the afternoon, we leave Montrésor, one of the most beautiful villages in France, making our way to Bourges, the last stop of this trip to the Loire Valley and the place where we will stay today.
Through roads with less charm than those we have been traveling these days ago, we arrive at Bourges when it is 4:44 p.m., after paying 8.70 euros at a toll, approaching we go directly to the historic center, where we park right on the street behind the cathedral, one of the most important points, in a free zone.
More practical information to prepare your trip to the Loire Valley
- The 10 essential Loire Castles
- The best tips for traveling to the Loire Valley
We don't need much to see that Bourges is another one of those places where we wouldn't mind staying a few days, enjoying only the relaxation that places like this give you.
We decided that this afternoon is the ideal time to enjoy the place without maps or visits and so we get lost in the historic center of the city, enjoying as children the last hours of this day that has taken us through some of the most beautiful locations in the city. country.
Bourges
And so when it is almost 8 pm we decide that the time has come to go to the Ace Hotel Bourges where we will spend this last night of our trip to the Loire Valley.
And as we usually do on trips, and this time it could not be different, we have an immense luck over time and that is that the first days of the trip we have enjoyed an incredibly clear time, although quite hot, something That is not too common in this area of France, where temperatures tend to be lower and the skies are somewhat gray. And that luck seems to twist, at the moment in which we decide that the day is over, putting on the gray sky and unloading a storm that allows us to ride in the car in a hurry, before starting to rain, something that makes us go direct At the Hotel Bourges, where after checking in, resting for a while and enjoying a spectacular sunset, we had dinner at a fast food restaurant right next door, ending this last day of the incredible trip to the Loire Valley.
Sunset from the Ace Hotel Bourges
Day 9: What to see in Bourges - Lloret de Mar
