When to go dans la Loire ?

While the climate of the Loire department is of a semi-continental type, the contrasts in altitude, exposure of the slopes and the stretching in latitude, from north to south, induce significant nuances. The temperatures and rainfall can be divided into medium mountain areas, plains and the Rhône side. On average, temperatures range from 2/8°C day and night in January/February to 15/26°C in July/August.

This department offers so many different regions and climates that there is something for everyone all year round. Summer is the peak tourist season with good weather, village festivals and the possibility of hiking in altitude to escape the heat wave. Springtime suits the landscape, and autumn also makes the forests blaze. If the zoo of Saint-Martin-la-Plaine, the castle of Bouthéon and the museum of the Mine of Saint-Étienne are open to the public all year long, for the ski resort of Chalmazel, of course, it is necessary to wait for the winter.

Horse racing enthusiasts can plan their visit for the end of the horse racing season in Feurs, at the end of October, with the famous "Chantilly du Forez" race, from the nickname of the ancestral racecourse of Feurs. Others will prefer to enjoy the Christmas village, in the old center of Feurs. As for the International Design Biennial of Saint-Etienne, it takes place in odd years, during one month in April/May.