The Loir valley on foot | Office de Tourisme de Vendôme

Discover at your own pace the diversity of the landscapes from the Loir valley to the Perche Vendômois.

Picturesque villages, forests, vineyards and orchards, this region is an ideal area for long hikes.

A word of advice : make sure you have good walking shoes.

sentier-dcouverte-bois-de-loratoire-vendme-ot-pays-de-vendme-11.jpg

On foot by the river « Le Loir » : a 4-day program

Day 1

Leave your luggage in your accommodation before leaving to the forest “Bois de l’Oratoire” in Vendôme.

Observe the different species of birds in the ornithological wooden cabin.

Download the hiking sheets : IGN hiking portal.

You can have dinner in a restaurant in Vendôme and admire the illuminated monuments. Use the Luminous Pathway.

Decond day

Then take the direction of Villiers-sur-Loir.

Scale the heights and admire the Loir Valley and Rochambeau’s castle.

After a picnic around the lake, go to the village « Thoré-la-Rochette » where there are wine cellars

Take the curious path to the church.

Second evening, you can sleep in bed and breakfast in Villiers-sur-Loir. For dinner we advise you to go to the Cave Coopérative in Villiers-sur-Loir to buy wine and to the “Comptoir des Cocottes” store in Thoré-la-Rochette to taste good local products.

Third day

After yourbreakfast, go to Montoire-sur-le-Loir. Visit Musikenfête, a museum with more than 500 musical instruments from around the world created 25 years ago in connection with the World Folklore Festival, the winemaker « Martellière », the Saint-Gilles chapel with its frescoes and the historic station.

For lunch, we recommend a nice address at the foot of the remains of the castle of Lavardin : « Chez Arti », traditional and local cuisine.

Lavardin, the only village classified «Most Beautiful Villages of France» in Loir-et-Cher with its church frescoes, The castle’s remains, a Renaissance-style house and a very small way « La Rotte aux biques » : (about 2.5Kms).

Finally, finish the day in Trôo a troglodytic city. Church, well, cave…

To sleep in Trôo, many guest rooms and troglodyte guest rooms too.