In the French region of Pays de la Loire – also known as the Atlantic Loire Valley – the year ahead is packed with anniversaries and events across multiple sectors, from cycling to culture to sailing, military history and food and wine. Home to the famous green cities of Nantes and Angers, a stunning stretch of the Atlantic coast and half of the Loire Valley itself, this is a beautifully diverse region – and accessible by train from London in under four hours as well as by direct flight. If you haven’t explored it yet, make 2025 the year!

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LOIRE À VÉLO
Anjou / Loire-Atlantique

It’s 20 years since the first section of the Loire à Vélo opened, today a 900km cycle route and the westernmost section of EuroVelo 6, winding its way through the majestic Loire Valley. Much of the Loire Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and all along the trail you stick closely to France’s last great wild river, with its sandy banks and islands, vine-covered slopes, picturesque towns and villages, chateaux (including Montreuil-Bellay which celebrates 1,000 years of history in 2025; see below), and fine food and wine. The route ends at the Loire’s Atlantic estuary. There are over 700 cyclist-friendly ‘Accueil Vélo’ places to stay situated within a 5km radius, and a train runs along the route accommodating bikes in the summer.

10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VÉLO FRANCETTE
Mayenne / Anjou

Another cycling birthday in 2025: this time for the Vélo Francette, a 600km trail between Normandy and La Rochelle. One of its most peaceful sections follows the River Mayenne towpath, punctuated by flower-clad lockkeepers’ houses and pretty villages, from which you can explore lovely Laval and Chateau-Gontier with their laid-back riverside charm. Further along you reach majestic Angers, whose mind-blowing Apocalypse tapestry rivals Bayeux and was recognised by UNESCO in 2023. From here to Saumur you hug the River Loire in all its glory – with traditional river boat rides aplenty – before turning south and passing the lesser-known Chateau de Montreuil-Bellay, which celebrates its millennium (see below).

 

TWO NEW GUINGUETTES IN LOCKKEEPERS’ HOUSES ON THE RIVER MAYENNE
Mayenne

Originating in 17th-century Paris, the guinguette was a tavern where locals would unite to eat, drink and dance, usually in the open air. They are now considered social summertime restaurants, and in Mayenne run by lockkeepers who often double as restaurateurs, grocers and gardeners. L’Écluserie is a new one at Benâtre Lock in Origné, where hungry outdoorsy types arrive by boat, bike or canoe to enjoy a simple daily changing menu of main course and dessert for €14. There is a water refill point, a bike rental and equipment shop, essential grocery supplies and a little fireplace for cooler days. Last summer also saw the reopening of La Guinguette de Montflours, upriver on the other side of Laval.

 

1,000 YEARS OF THE CHATEAU DE MONTREUIL-BELLAY
Near Saumur, Anjou

The village of Montreuil-Bellay is a classified ‘Petite Cité de Caractère’ and is crossed by the both the Loire à Vélo and Vélo Francette cycle routes. Its eponymous chateau is one of the Loire Valley’s lesser known, founded in 1025 on the banks of the Thouet river. As well as an imposing 600-metre-long wall flanked by towers, its particular features are a network of vast, vaulted cellars and a vineyard producing red, white, rosé and sparkling wines. Visitors walk in the footsteps of the Duchess of Longueville, rebellious cousin of Louis XIV; learn about the suffering of the women imprisoned here; and learn about the care given to the 1,000 wounded soldiers during the First World War.

 

A NEW GREENWAY ON THE VÉLOBUISSONNIÈRE CYCLE ROUTE
Sarthe

Turning old railway lines into cycling ‘greenways’ is a priority for Sarthe, Pays de la Loire’s north-eastern department. The construction of 29km of greenways linking La Suze-sur-Sarthe to La Flèche was launched in February 2024 and will form part of the 250km Vélobuissonnière route between Alençon and Saumur via Le Mans. The first new section, between La Suze and Malicorne (home of the world-famous pottery), is opening at the end of 2024, followed by the section between Malicorne and La Flèche in 2025. The investment has involved creating a compacted sand surface, securing crossings with barriers or wooden bollards,  installing information panels and service kiosks, and sensitive environmental integration.

 

A NEW WINE AND TRAVEL VISITOR CENTRE IN THE VALLÉE DU LOIR
La Chartre-sur-le-Loir, Sarthe

Open since July 2024 with an official launch in October, La Maison Voyages et Vignes sits on the main square of La Chartre-sur-le-Loir, otherwise famous for its concentration of antiques shops. The centre invites visitors to discover the history of the local vineyards, vines and production techniques, experience the unique flavours and aromas of the two AOC wines – Coteaux du Loir and Jasnières – and taste no fewer than 72 different wines from the Sarthe department. Events such as aperitifs in the vineyards, bike rides and cellar visits will be on offer to promote the vineyards in 2025, as well as vine pruning workshops from January to March. The centre also showcases all the historical and tourism-related resources of the Vallée du Loir.

 

A NEW MICHELIN KEY FOR THE HOTEL L’ERMITAGE AT FONTEVRAUD
Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, Anjou

The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is Europe’s largest monastic site, a former convent which later became a prison and is now a thriving cultural centre with two Michelin establishments on site. Its fine-dining Restaurant l’Ermitage has held a Michelin star under chef Thibaut Ruggeri since 2017, and now its accompanying hotel has been awarded the Michelin Key (May 2024). Hotel l’Ermitage enables guests to see this historic and architectural treasure from a whole new perspective. Rooms are located in the Saint-Lazare priory, former home of a community of nuns and a short walk from the main property, giving guests the ability to explore the grounds day or night, out of view of the crowds. The latest addition at Fontevraud is a modern art museum, opened in May 2021, which houses an exceptional collection of paintings, sculptures and other items donated to the region by a private collector couple.

 

15TH ANNIVERSARY OF TERRA BOTANICA, EUROPE’S FIRST PLANT LIFE ENTERTAINMENT PARK
Angers, Anjou

The first theme park in Europe dedicated to plant life celebrates its 15th birthday in 2025. A few miles outside Angers, Terra Botanica boasts 37 acres of gardens, water features and greenhouses, 275,000 plants and a wealth of entertainment and activities (think 4D films, interactive games, crossing a bamboo forest and ascending into the treetops). You can even take a hot air balloon ride 150 metres into the sky for a panoramic view of the park and its surrounding landscape. Terra Botanica offers a whole new approach to the world of plants, taking visitors on an amazing journey of fun and learning. Naturally, it’s also a trailblazer in terms of green credentials, designed in a spirit of respect for the environment and transmission to future generations of our exceptional natural heritage.

 

80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF THE ‘SAINT-NAZAIRE POCKET’
Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique

When German soldiers stabilised a front between the Vilaine and Pornic rivers in summer 1944, they enclosed 124,000 civilians in an area of 1,800 km² known as the ‘Saint-Nazaire Pocket’ (la Poche de Saint-Nazaire). While France was otherwise liberated, local Saint-Nazaire residents had to endure a further nine months of occupation with bombings, severe food restrictions and no electricity. The ‘Pocket’ was liberated on 11 May 1945 following the German surrender and was the last French territory to reach freedom. Various events are being organised to mark the anniversary in 2025: the ‘Bal des Empochés’ (Liberty Ball) at the Hôtel de Ville on 10 May; a display of portraits of Resistance fighters at the Hôtel de Ville; a further fireworks display on the theme of the Liberation on 13 July; and a major themed exhibition running from June to September on the reinvented city at submarine base-turned-cultural centre LiFE.

 

THE SKIPPERS’ RETURN FROM THE 10TH VENDEE GLOBE
Les Sables-d’Olonne, Vendée

Taking place every four years and nicknamed the ‘Everest of the Seas’, the Vendée Globe solo round-the-world sailing race departs from and returns to the port of Les Sables-d’Olonne on Pays de la Loire’s Atlantic coast. Three British skippers feature in this 10th Vendée Globe race: Pip Hare (Medallia), only the eighth woman in the world to previously complete it; Samantha Davies (Initiatives Coeur), who uses every race to raise funds for children with heart defects; and Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable), a newcomer to this monumental challenge. The 40-strong fleet sets off on 10 November 2024 and is expected to return around three months later – the record to beat is 74 days. The Award Ceremony will take place on 10 May 2025. Les Sables is a member of select club ‘The Most Beautiful Bays in the World’, recognising its unspoilt natural areas of beach, forest and marshland and its commitment to the protection of biodiversity.