Castles · Tour

Chambord by E-Bike from Tours, with a Break at Château de Villesavin

Chambord is the most renowned castle in the Loire Valley and the one every coach heads for. Arriving on an electric bike changes the day around it. The Renaissance front of the château is what the photographs are of, and it is worth the ride. But a guide who knows the ground takes the group to panoramic spots that are not on the standard route, and fills the day with the history and the anecdotes of the kings and nobles who lived here. Not dates: what they did, and what they were like. The electric assistance is the part that makes this work as a day out rather than a training ride. It flattens the distance without taking away the reason for cycling, which is that you see the valley at the speed it was built for. There is also a stop nobody else makes. A snack and a drink at a private, family-owned château, away from the crowds, in a house that is lived in rather than visited. The day starts in Tours, in front of the tourist office.