A territory to discover on two wheels
The Chinon region is known for its cycling routes. Come with your two-wheeler or rent one on site, with or without electric assistance. Between Azay-le-Rideau and Saumur, the Loire à Vélo itinerary passes through Chinon with diversions via the villages of Véron, Saint-Germain-sur-Vienne, Monsoreau, Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, Couziers and even Chouzé-sur-Loire. Cyclists can also take the greenway that links Chinon and Richelieu. This former railroad track has been converted into a 20 km long bicycle and pedestrian path. It is a very pleasant itinerary with interpretation stations with picnic tables and educational panels on the local heritage and treasures. You walk along the Veude in a bucolic atmosphere and come across picnic tables and directional signs indicating the connecting cycling routes. There is a group lodging at the station of Ligré-Rivière and at the station of Richelieu a nice bistro (Le Bout du Monde).
Moreover, you can download on the website of the community of communes Chinon Vienne et Loire(https://www.chinon-vienne-loire.fr/tourisme/sentiers-de-randonnee/balades-a-velo/) 6 marked cycling itineraries going from 1h and 17 km to 3h30 and 49 km, along the Loire, between Chinon and Candes-Saint-Martin, between Chinon and the Vienne valley, on the steps of Rabelais towards Seuilly, from Candes-Saint-Martin to Fontevraud, from Fontevraud-l'Abbaye to Seuilly. A delightful experience!
Hiking, horseback riding
The Chinon region also invites you to go hiking. Walk in the forest and through the vineyards, on the hillsides and along the river banks. Forget the car for a while! Are you coming with your horse? The territory also knows how to welcome you. If many of the Chinon's accommodation providers have the "Accueil vélo" label, you will also find, throughout the territory, a box or a meadow for your horse. On the website of the community of municipalities, you can download the " Carnet de Chevauchée en Pays de Chinon " which details four equestrian itineraries with addresses that have been awarded the "Accueil cheval" label, the presentation of a few sites to visit and the addresses of equestrian centers, veterinarians and farriers on your route. We can mention the equestrian centers of Noisillet (Cinais), Isoré (Beaumont-en-Véron) and Escapade (Avoine). You can even learn to drive a horse in Saint-Benoit-la-Forêt. At the rhythm of your horse, discover a forest of green oaks, the banks of the Vienne and the Loire, the Puys du Chinonais and the bocage of the Véron. On these bucolic routes you will come across abbeys, private manors, mills, troglodytic dwellings and the Most Beautiful Villages of France, Candes-Saint-Martin and Montsoreau. Beware that some portions along the Vienne or the Loire may be flooded in winter. Horse-drawn carriage rides are offered by some service providers.
And if you are with children
Direction Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt and its tree climbing circuits, in the heart of the forest. With monkey bridges and zip lines, this space of nature, sport and relaxation offers you an opportunity to cure your vertigo! You will evolve at the top of the trees by taking more or less sportive courses in complete safety. The easiest courses are dedicated to children. The hardest one, the aptly named The Warriors, is for... warriors who are not afraid of anything. A forest domain spread over more than 3 hectares, Saint-Benoît Aventure welcomes you with family or friends to play Tarzan and Rahan. You can scream like the men and women of the early ages, but bring your shoes and clothes.
Two swimming pools, one in Avoine and the other in Chinon, are also popular with families. As for teenagers, they like to go to the skatepark and pumptrack in Beaumont-en-Véron, with their mountain bikes or BMX, their scooters or rollerblades. There, they compete in technique to perform spectacular jumps and figures.
And that's not all! Other fun awaits families and groups of friends. Come aboard a traditional "toue cabanée" and enjoy the pleasure of gliding peacefully along the water, discovering magnificent natural spaces and new landscapes, while enjoying a glass of Chinon wine (for adults!). From Chinon, you can also go on the Vienne river by canoe or paddle.
Outstanding discoveries from Lerné
Stamped as a heritage game by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, boule de fort has been practiced in corporate societies for more than three centuries and saw its peak in the 19th century. The Picroboule museum of Lerné, animated by erudite and passionate volunteers, is dedicated to it. Its premises also house a game room where the members of the local society - the Société de boule de fort la Paix de Lerné - train and where public meetings and tournaments are held. Some other boule de fort societies welcome you to learn this sport, such as the Cercle du Bon accord in Chinon.
Lerné also invites you to get up in the air to admire the beautiful country of Rabelais from the sky. If along the water you discover new landscapes, by taking flight you enjoy other exceptional views. Jean-François Laborde and the association Dis-moi si ça vole organize hot air balloon flights. Seen from the sky, the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne, the old town of Chinon, the preserved villages and the castles are a dazzling sight!
The Chinon region and the 2024 Olympic Games
Finally, you should know that the Chinon region is home to quality sports infrastructures and is distinguished by its dynamism in the field of sports, to the point that it has been selected as a preparation center for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Labeled as a "Land of Games 2024", the Chinon area could welcome gymnasts and footballers during the next Olympic Games. The Beaumont-en-Véron community gymnastics hall and the Avoine soccer complex have been selected for the quality of their facilities. The area's accommodation capacity and its proximity to Paris also played a role in the decision. The community of communes Chinon Vienne et Loire and the city of Avoine are already on the bridge to receive these high-level athletes and animate this Land of Games 2024 version chinonaise. The Chinon sporting spirit is thus rewarded! And it is a whole territory mobilized around the practice of sports and the values of Olympism.
