Loire River cruises

Discover the unique paddle boat cruises of the Loire River that take you to the heart of the Valley of the Kings and beyond. Explore the culture, gastronomy, wine, treasures and history of the majestic Loire – as you travel in style.

Bateaux, chateaux, and gateaux – oh my!

My cruise of the Loire River was awash with adventures – from riding a humongous mechanical elephant packed with other amazed joyriders, witnessing the birth of a colossal cruise ship, treading in the footsteps of French Kings and Queens, dining in the stables of a 16^th century chateau, and going gaga for a historic cake, and more. Much more.

Bateaux

CroisiEurope’s paddle ship MS Loire Princesse is one of a handful of boats able to cruise the Loire River, the last wild river in Europe and the least navigable of all France’s major rivers. The 48-cabin, 500 horsepower ship was built specifically to operate on the Loire River at France’s prestigious Saint-Nazaire shipyard, our first stop on a week-long cruise. You may not think it sounds like fun, but it was the surprise destination of the trip for me.

The shipyard workshops at St Nazaire on the outskirts of Nantes were established in 1861 when Scottish engineer John Scott arrived to teach the construction of steel hulls. Now there are 3000 employees and 3000 sub-contractors working on an area that covers more than 100 acres. It’s one of the largest shipyards in the world. And we’re talking BIG ships. The Queen Mary 2 was built here as well as The Wonder of the Seas – the world’s biggest cruise ship. This is where they build aircraft carriers for the French Navy, and they are currently building a cruise ship that will be bigger than The wonder of the Seas, capable of carrying 9,500 passengers and multiple stories high. The logistics and sight of ships being born is mesmerising as vast cranes, robots and a workforce of experts bring boats to life.

Close by, the Museum Escal’Atlantic, in a former German World War II submarine pen, presents a fascinating exhibition about the history of steamships and boat building which includes immersive experiences like being on the deck of an ocean liner ‘watching’ polar bears float by on glaciers alongside frolicking dolphins, plus you’ll exit the museum by a boat lowered into the water – yes really!

Back on board our own boat, my table group (the crew offer to sort tables by language spoken), had bonded straight away, after the first night we felt like old friends. A sprightly couple in their 80’s – Reg and Di from Kent, UK, Brits Jane and Ian who have a holiday home in Normandy, and Geri, an Australian whose daughter lives in France. There was also a group from Spain who loved to dance and gave us Samba lessons, while the French passengers taught us Le Rock (what the French call Rock and Roll)!

The cruise can be as active or chilled as you like. Relaxing on the long sun deck watching glorious scenery pass by with a book, while listening to the paddle wheels slosh the water round in a heartbeat-like rhythm as we sailed, was blissful.

Gateaux

The tour starts and ends in Nantes and no visit to this historic city is complete without a ride on the 12m high, eye-blinking, water-spraying mechanical elephant from The Machines of the Isle of Nantes. This city has culture galore, historic districts and is worthy of more than a day. It also has another glorious river running through it. Smaller than the Loire, the gentle Erdre meanders past beautiful countryside peppered with mansions and castles, a tranquil side to the vibrant city.

But as a cake monster, I was bowled over by the city’s famous cake – gateau Nantais. Featuring rum and almonds, it’s a fairly simple sponge with rum flavoured icing, and utterly delicious. It was made famous throughout France by the local Lu biscuit factory and there’s even an annual contest among chefs and keen cooks for the best gateau Nantais. Nothing beats a slice of this cake with a glass of wine. And since we toured the Muscadet wine route and did a chateau-domaine wine tasting of the soft, sweet Muscadet, it seemed churlish not to marry them up! Gateau Nantais is now one of my favourite cakes (you can find a recipe here).

There are daily excursions and stops at ports like historic Ancenis and charming Chalonnes-sur-Loire with plenty of opportunity to get off and wander, cycle or play petanque.

We visited the enchanting town of Clisson in the heart of Muscadet wine country, the sound of music filled the air as a small orchestra played outside the Romanesque church. There is a ruined castle, medieval market halls, and streets festooned with colourful bunting and many buildings have an Italian influence after the town was rebuilt in the 18^th century with the help of architect Lemot of Lyon, after it was partially destroyed during the Vendéen wars. All set around a picturesque, lily-filled lake – gorgeous.

You’ll eat incredibly well on any CroisiEurope cruise, and the Loire Princesse is no exception. “This is living” said Di with a grin on her face as we tucked into our daily four-course lunch “We normally only have a sandwich; this is what proper holidays are all about.”

Chateaux

This being the Loire Valley – chateaux are of course de rigeur. Included on the tour are visits to the exquisite Azay-le-Rideau, Ussé AKA the Sleeping Beauty castle, and Villandry which has the most gorgeous gardens. They are three of the most captivating and beautiful chateaux of the region. A historian gave a lecture on board about the chateaux of the Loire, so we visited armed with facts and anecdotes, and the icing on the cake was an included a gastronomic lunch in the historic stables of Villandry, now a stunning private restaurant area.

Plus, there are optional excursions to the Chateau of Brissac, the tallest castle in France at a whopping seven stories high. Or to the Chateau of Angers, which houses one of the most incredible tapestries in the world, possibly second only to the Bayeux Tapestry.

All aboard

From the minute you step on the boat, you don’t have to worry about a thing.

Everything is taken care of by the friendly crew who all speak English and French. There’s no worrying about having to drive, make a train connection, or travel delays. There’s no queuing to get into major sites to get tickets. All you have to do is relax, enjoy the fabulous food and wine, get to see the best of France, and have a brilliant cruise.

What’s included

When you book this CroisiEurope cruise food and drinks are included – from the fine wines, cocktails, and spirits (except for a few drinks like Champagne and Armagnac) to the gourmet meals cooked by the fabulous onboard chef. The company prides itself on providing the best of French fare, using local and seasonal products where possible, baking onboard and generally spoiling guests rotten. WiFi, some of the excursions, transport, daily cocktail – all included.

The six-day The Loire Valley cruise operates between April and October 2024.

For more details and to book your tour, visit www.croisieurope.co.uk