Loire: Hotels and accommodations
Accommodation in Loire
The Loire brings together the Roannais-Bocage, the Forez Plain, the Madeleine and Forez mountains, the hills of Beaujolais and Lyonnais, the Pilat Massif and the RhĂ´ne Valley.
Anyone wishing to book a hotel in Loire will find a suitable starting point here for further research.
Nature
The Loire is home to 626 designated Sensitive Natural Areas. For public access, most of the highlighted natural sites have parking areas, secure access points and regularly maintained, signposted paths.
Some of Loire’s natural areas are open to visitors wishing to explore wetlands and heathlands and observe bird migration; species include, among others, red kites and storks.
The Gorges de la Loire form a 4,000-hectare area of history and biodiversity with contrasting natural environments. The Grangent section has protected status as a classified and registered site and is part of Natura 2000; part of the right bank is also designated as a regional nature reserve. This area offers trips on the water, varied hikes and visits to typical villages and medieval hilltop towns. In Saint-Victor, visitors can spend time on the beach, while the Maison de la RĂ©serve offers nature programs.
Culture
The Le Corbusier Site in Firminy comprises a Maison de la Culture, a Unité d’habitation, a stadium, a swimming pool and a church. From Firminy railway station, pedestrian signs and ground markings lead to the starting point for visits to the Le Corbusier Site.
The Maison des Tresses et des Lacets is housed in a former textile factory and offers guided tours of its hydraulic system and operating braiding machines. Charlieu Benedictine Abbey features a Romanesque main portal from the 12th century, a cloister dating from the end of the 15th century and a chapter house from the 15th century.
On the move
The section of the Via Fluvia from Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue (Les Chavannes) to the Bénévis car park above Bourg-Argental is 11.1 kilometres long. Of this, 6.9 kilometres run on shared roads and 4.2 kilometres on a voie verte.
The Train Touristique du Haut-Forez runs from Estivareilles in the Loire département via Craponne-sur-Arzon to La Chaise-Dieu in the Haute-Loire département and stops at the Viaduc de Pontempeyrat. In the Haut-Forez region, the tourist railway crosses forests along the borders of the Loire, Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme départements and provides access to hiking and mountain-biking trails.
The VĂ©loire crosses the Loire from Iguerande to Montrond-les-Bains; 25 kilometres run on a dedicated path and 78 kilometres on shared roads. A VĂ©lorail ride provides access to Lac de Villerest via a former railway line used by the Loire tourist train.
The themed GRP routes range from 9 to 82 kilometres and are complemented by guidebooks describing history, curiosities and places of interest for visitors. Water activities associated with the Loire include canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, pedal boating, rafting, electric-boat trips and rowing.
Food and drink
Loire specialties include AOP Fourme de Montbrison. It is made from the milk of Montbéliarde, Abondance and Aubrac cows grazing on the Hautes-Chaumes, which reach an altitude of 1,634 metres. Other specialties include the AOP Rigotte de Condrieu cheese, Praluline, râpée forézienne, the Côtes du Forez and Côtes du Roannais wines, and Badoit mineral water. Loire’s cuisine can be explored through restaurants, markets, farm visits and culinary workshops.
The Route des Vins Forez-Roannais en Loire Volcanique covers nearly 400 hectares, predominantly planted with Gamay vines, and bears the Vignobles & DĂ©couvertes label. The Loire wine route is represented by the AOP CĂ´tes du Forez and CĂ´te Roannaise; these are considered the first appellations upstream on the Loire.
Other location pages about Loire: Saint-Bonnet-Le-Courreau, Sauvain, St. Alban Les Eaux, Les Noës, Saint-Rirand, La Tuilière, Chalmazel, Saint-Priest-La-Prugne.
To the higher-level travel overview: RhĂ´ne-Alpes.
