Chinon in the Loire Valley

We hit the road from Dinan and headed south east towards our next stop in the Loire Valley. We were headed to the town of Chinon but had a few stops on the way.

First stop was a set of stones built around 4000 or 5000 BC - that’s older than the pyramids. It is perfectly aligned so the sunrise of the winter solstice shines into the structure. It is called La Roche-aux-Fées or the Rock of the Fairies. Originally it would have been covered with rocks and dirt. I could (mostly) walk around inside without ducking. How they transported and erected the stones remains a mystery.

Next stop was the town of Angers. This town has lots of history as it is the seat of the Plantagenet dynasty in France. King Rene of Anjou in the 14th and 15th centuries transformed Angers into the cultural centre it is today with some amazing gardens. The castle was built over a few hundred years from the 11th century and is very impressive. In the 1950s they built a huge gallery to hold what is called the Apocalypse Tapestry. This is a huge woollen tapestry made in the 14th century showing the story of the apocalypse as told in the bible. Like many things it was damaged during the French Revolution so only 71 of the original 90 panels remain but has been restored and is now on display in Angers Castle.

Next stop was the impressive Chateau de Saumur in the town of Saumur. Very big and some amazing views from the ramparts.

We then headed on to Chinon along the banks of the Vienne River. Chinon was once the resort of French and English Kings so it became a very popular destination in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is on the river Vienne which flows into the Loire and given rivers were the highways of the Middle Ages it was an important town. Nowadays it is known for its wine and large castle overlooking the town.

We had an excellent dinner in a local restaurant. Tomorrow we have more of a look around Chinon and visit a winery.Read more