A family weekend around Bréhémont, between the Loire and the châteaux

At Clos de la Moire, we often welcome families who come to spend two or three days on the banks of the Loire. We’re regularly asked where to start. Here’s the itinerary we suggest to our guests, with children in mind: not too much driving, plenty of fresh air, a few carefully chosen châteaux and some tasty breaks.

Saturday morning: cycling along the Loire, starting from the house

The ‘Loire à Vélo’ cycle route runs alongside the river at Bréhémont, and you can join it straight from the house. The paths are quiet and flat, which is reassuring when the little ones are cycling on their own or being carried in a bike seat. Access is free and available all year round.

Villandry, Langeais and Ussé are all within cycling distance. With children, we recommend aiming for just one stage and taking your time: the pleasure lies as much in the ride as in reaching your destination. [If you provide bikes or can recommend a hire company, please specify this here.]

Saturday afternoon: fairytale castles and gardens

Ussé Castle, about ten minutes’ drive away, is often the children’s favourite. Its white towers and pointed roofs, on the edge of the Chinon Forest, are said to have inspired Charles Perrault’s *Sleeping Beauty*. Telling the story as you go always goes down a treat.

If your family prefers to run about outdoors, the gardens of Villandry, a quarter of an hour away, offer a wonderful place to stroll across three terraces. The geometric vegetable plots intrigue young and old alike.

For a long weekend, the Château du Rivau in Léméré is well worth a visit: a fortified castle with a moat and drawbridge, and gardens that bring fairy tales to life.

Saturday evening: the Loire just round the corner

No need to get back in the car. La Cabane à Matelot, just a stone’s throw from the house, serves fish from the Loire caught by Romain Gadais and cooked by chef Ambroise Voreux, on a terrace overlooking the river. This is also where the boat trip on the Loire sets off: an hour on a traditional boat with a fisherman from the Pêcheries Ligériennes, to discover the wild side of the Loire. The children ask a thousand questions, and the fisherman always has an answer.

Before you leave, pop into the Pêcherie Ligérienne shop at the same address: smoked fish from the Loire, rillettes and tinned goods – everything you need to put together an aperitif at home. Please note, it’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Sunday: market, fortress and river

On Sunday morning, head to the Langeais market, open from 9 am to 1 pm in the town centre. Local producers, cheeses, wines and cafés with outdoor seating: there’s something for everyone, and the children love choosing a piece of fruit or a cheese for themselves. Right next door, the Boulangerie de l’Église makes excellent croissants and a lemon meringue tart that we’d highly recommend.

Make the most of your visit to explore Langeais Castle. On the town side, it’s a proper fortress with a drawbridge and machicolations – perfect for playing at being knights. On the garden side, it opens up into a Renaissance residence.

In July and August, you can round off the afternoon on the water with canoeing or kayaking on the River Indre at Azay-le-Rideau: 2- or 3-seater canoes to paddle down the river to the foot of the château. For afternoon tea or lunch, the crêperie L’Odette in Azay serves generous buckwheat galettes (closed on Sunday evenings, amongst other days). The Auberge Radieuse, very close to the château, is also popular with families for its wood-fired pizzas.

And if the weather’s fine, there’s nothing to stop you heading back early to enjoy the house’s heated swimming pool.

Useful addresses

• Groceries: Carrefour Market in Langeais, 26 Rue Carnot, open from 8.30 am to 7.30 pm and on Sundays from 9 am to 12.30 pm.
• Pharmacy: Pharmacie des 3 Tours, 4 rue Thiers in Langeais, closed on Sundays. For the out-of-hours pharmacy on Sundays and at night, dial 3237.
• Bread: Boulangerie de l’Église in Langeais, closed on Mondays and Thursdays.

With its four bedrooms, exposed beams and terracotta floor tiles, the Clos de la Moire is ideal for those weekends when several generations get together. If this sounds appealing, we’d be delighted to welcome you to Bréhémont: you can book your stay directly on this website.