Discovering the Loire, France's royal river

Lined by magnificent French castles frozen in time, the Loire is nicknamed the royal river, with its breathtaking views of these jewels of Renaissance architecture. But the river is also a place to escape, to get back to nature and to discover a lesser-known heritage. In Chaumont-sur-Loire, an association is bringing traditional flat-bottomed boats back to life, in order to offer tourists an exceptional view of the region's castles. Meanwhile, thanks to the development of a network of cycling paths, the most athletic visitors can now choose to admire the beauties of the royal river by bike.