Tapestry of la Loire: gravel riding through vineyards and history

Home to the annual ‘Nature is Bike’ festival, Rouleur goes riding around Angers, in the heart of France’s Pays de la Loire region, to discover vineyards, châteaux and perfect gravel trails

Photography: Alessandra Bucci Words: Rachel Jary

This article was first published in Rouleur Issue 141 and was produced in collaboration with Destination Angers

Blue, red and ivory coloured threads run through the 104-metre tapestry that sits in a carefully temperature-controlled room in the middle of Château d’Angers. Faded orange and green hues mix with gilt and silver woven into the wool and silk. In each stitch with which the material has been painstakingly repaired during its 644 year existence, there are stories of history, love and war. The Apocalypse Tapestry is the most significant and one of the few survivors from the first decades of the great period of tapestry. It is kept in Angers, approximately 300 km southwest of Paris, in the heart of the Pays de la Loire region.

I’d come to this part of France to ride bikes. To discover the gravel tracks that wind through the vineyards, the cycle paths that skirt the edge of the glittering Loire river and the technical trails that weave through the forests to secretly connect one quaint fairytale village to the next. That part of our visit, I knew was going to be good. I’d seen photos and images of Nature is Bike, the gravel festival that takes place yearly in Angers, noted the perfect mix of challenging sections and fast-flowing off-road sections of the route, remembered the smiling faces of participants, and looked at the varying distance options for different abilities. When it comes to cycling, the beautiful scenery of the Loire Valley was never going to disappoint.

What I might not have expected, though, as we walked through Angers’ medieval château, and our tour guide, Olivier, shared his expert knowledge about the tapestry and the stories associated with it, was the rich, detailed, fascinating history I was going to learn. What I discovered in three days riding around Angers and its environs is that around every corner, over the crest of every incline, there is knowledge to be gained, new foods to be tasted, new wine to be sampled. Come here for bike riding, sure, but stay longer to look for what is beyond the beaten track.

Our Eurostar from London St Pancras pulled into Paris Gare du Nord just as the last of the commuting rush was fading. The city was loud and busy, but Angers and its tranquillity was only another hour’s train journey away – it had taken just a morning to travel to the Pays de la Loire region where bike riding bliss awaited us. Olivier met us at the train station on our arrival, pointing out the tourism office where he worked, affectionately called ‘The White House’ thanks to its washed walls and prime position in the centre of the town.

We wandered the charming, old streets of Angers that afternoon, seeing spots like the Maison d’Adam in the historic centre – the most famous of the 40 or so timber-framed houses still in place near the city’s Cathedral. Olivier pointed out the wooden carvings displayed all over the house’s exterior and told us of the thousand years of history that can be discovered through analysing the sculptures and woodwork. Local shops offered us samples of Cointreau, an orange-flavoured triple sec liqueur produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d’Anjou – we would go past the factory and smell the zesty distilling process on tomorrow’s bike ride.

We climbed up to the highest wall of the Château d’Angers and could see that many roofs and buildings use local slate, quarried extensively in the neighbouring area of Trélazé, east of Angers. The panoramic view of the city from the château’s walls clearly showed the harmony between nature and civilisation in this part of France. Beyond the buildings that made up Angers, we could see how the fertile Loire valley spanned into the horizon in a mix of gold and green, similar to the colours in the tapestry itself, scattered with clusters of vineyards and castles, almost in touching distance from bustling civilisation. It was a scene of old contrasting with new, concrete with forest, river with pavement, people with tranquillity.

At dinner that evening we tasted Savennières, a world-renowned dry Chenin Blanc with a unique, mineral taste due to the soil in the vineyards it is sourced from. The conditions for growing crops in the Loire valley are optimum, which means local produce is easy to find in Angers’ wide-ranging restaurant offerings. Asparagus, carrot and leek accompanied many dishes, including the local delicacy – fresh fish from Loire with white butter sauce. The food and drink on our first day was needed because tomorrow we would be riding – heading out of the city and into the valley, ready to discover the routes and riding opportunities that make this part of the world so special.

The morning light was slowly breaking, casting an amber glow across Angers the following morning as we set out on our bike ride. On the menu: 80 kilometres taking in some of Olivier’s unmissable spots in the Loire Valley. We would be doing sections of the routes that make up the Nature is Bike gravel festival each year, starting in Angers and heading out into the wilderness. From my own regular experience of gravel rides going from south London suburbs to the Kent countryside, I expected at least a little bit of ducking and diving through traffic before we made it onto any type of decent gravel path, but Olivier knew his onions. We headed straight from the centre of town into the woods and out on the extensive network of trails that take you away from the city, barely sharing more than a few minutes of our ride with cars.

Riding alongside the banks of La Maine river, dappled sunlight dripped onto the path in front of us – the route was peppered with people walking and running, and we passed a group of school kids learning how to ride bikes in a park nearby. It’s no wonder that Angers’ sustainability efforts have been globally recognised – it’s known as France’s ‘greenest city’, with a high number of green spaces per inhabitant and a commitment to planting thousands of trees. Tourism professionals in Angers are encouraged to adopt eco-friendly practices, while the city’s administration implements sustainable development policies and structural projects for the future.

We rode across the Pont de Pruniers, known for being a critical objective during World War II, specifically in the liberation of Angers in August 1944. Beneath us, a lone man on his fishing boat sat peacefully, and all that could be heard aside from the hum of our freewheels were birds chirping and rustling leaves. We were only half an hour from the city, but this sort of tranquillity was a bike rider’s paradise.

Some of the gravel routes around Angers make up part of La Loire à Vélo – a unique 900-kilometre cycle route that stretches from Nevers to the Atlantic Ocean. The trail sticks closely to France’s last great wild river, taking in its sandy banks, islands and vine-covered slopes. Last year, La Loire à Vélo was ranked number one by Time Out magazine as the most beautiful cycling trail on the planet. On our adventure, we rode on La Loire à Vélo to Bouchemaine, a confluence town thanks to its positioning at the point where the Maine and Loire river meet. We sipped coffee at the riverside from a local café as we took in the green landscapes and stunning scenery. It came as no surprise when Olivier told us that a fair share of the Loire Valley is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fuelled by caffeine, Olivier told us that the next part of our route would head into slightly hillier territory. We’re not talking about the Alps or the Pyrenees, but there are certainly some rolling kickers in the Pays de la Loire region, especially as you head towards the famed Savennières vineyards. Gravel paths cut through perfectly kept rows of grapes, and as you head high towards the top of vineyards and look down across to the Loire, it is easy to understand how closely this river and its surroundings are connected. Tempting as it was, we didn’t have time to sample any wine as we whizzed past on two wheels, but we were promised some at dinner.

At this point in the ride, I’d been taking in so much of the culture, history and landmarks that I hadn’t thought too much about the actual gravel we’d been riding on. That, perhaps, was a very good sign of the conditions in Angers – the paths are tightly packed and well-kept, which means it’s easy to get up to speed and move quickly through the landscapes. The Nature is Bike festival offers a number of different route options, from the beginner to the experienced gravel professional, and this sort of terrain can suit everyone. It’s mellow enough to roll along and enjoy the view, but also would allow those who fancy it to push hard on the flatlands through the vineyards, gathering speed and ticking off distance. To head back down towards the river from the vineyards we took on a twisty, rocky descent through some trees too – there are technical challenges in this area for those who seek them.

Our final cultural stop on Olivier’s magical mystery tour of the Loire was the Château of Brissac. Located in the department of Maine-et-Loire, the property is owned by the noble Cossé family, whose head bears the French hereditary title of Duke of Brissac. It is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture and currently managed by Charles-André de Cossé-Brissac, the Duke who was at home when we visited. Olivier exchanged a friendly “bonjour” with him as we admired the impressive seven stories and intricate architecture of the tallest château in the Loire Valley.

By this time, the sun was going down as the late afternoon closed in on the valley, and it was time for us to begin our ride back along the river banks towards Angers. A chill was setting in the late autumn air, and the call of warm food and a glass of white wine was becoming more appealing as the kilometres ticked down. We arrived back in the city and rode through the Balzac Park which lines the waterfront and towards the Place du Ralliement – the lively central square in Angers. It was time to head back to the hotel and put our bikes away for the day, before we would meet back in the Place du Ralliement for dinner that evening, sampling more local cuisine, meat and wine to finish an unforgettable visit in one of the most underrated areas of France to head to for a bike riding holiday.

On the Eurostar back to London the next day, I started to reflect on the days I’d spent exploring the Pays de la Loire region and what I’d learnt from my visit. Angers might not be a well-known cycling hotspot like Mallorca or Girona, but the riding had been exceptional with expansive panoramic views from the tops of the vineyards, fast gravel paths that follow the riverbanks, lively tracks through the forests and quiet roads. Equally as important, though, was the cultural richness and significance of the area. It was a tapestry of history, from vineyards to châteaux – this isn’t just a destination for cycling, but somewhere that will leave you feeling like you’ve experienced a somewhat forgotten land, scattered with places that could be paused in time. I came back to London thinking about the tranquillity and nature of Angers – a sharp contrast to this busy city. If you’re looking to escape a concrete jungle, France’s Pays de la Loire region is there for the taking, just a train ride away.

Nature is Bike 2026

The first gravel festival in France takes place from May 30 to 31, 2026. There are eight route options, most of which start at the Event Village, set up at Angers' Lac de Maine, close to the heart of the city.