Activities

There are so many activities to enjoy and places of interest to see in Indre-et-Loire that you’ll have to spend plenty of time here to enjoy them all! For lovers of fine wine, the Chinon wine region stretches out over 2400 hectares, with numerous cellars to visit. In the image of the Loire Valley and the numerous châteaux that dot this royal region, Chinon (AOC) wines are elegant, refined, and occasionally as powerful as the fortress that proudly dominates the town. The passionate winemakers spread across the 26 municipalities neighbouring the town will be pleased to welcome you. 
For another way to discover Chinon wine, try the wine escape room: the Cave du Siècle in Chinon offers an escape game in a winemaking cellar.

The Chinon region also boasts the perfect natural surroundings for enjoying sport and leisure activities on the water, on land or in the air – enjoy the likes of trips along the Vienne and Loire in traditional regional boats, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, hiking, horse-riding, mountain biking, quad-biking, Segway rides, hot air balloon rides, and much more.

The best way to discover the region is naturally by bike! One of the best cycling routes in France, the Loire à Vélo (Loire by Bike) cycle route spans a length of 900 km, connecting Cuffy (near Nevers) and Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (in the Loire-Atlantique department). This itinerary spans six departments – Cher, Loiret, Loir-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire, Maine-et-Loire, and Loire-Atlantique. From Chinon, you can use cycle paths suitable for families to get to Rigny-Ussé and admire “Sleeping Beauty’s Castle”, or discover Azay-le-Rideau with its elegant Renaissance château mirrored in the River Indre.