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Fontevraud – Fontaine champigny loop from Bellevigne-les-Châteaux

Fontevraud – Fontaine champigny loop from Bellevigne-les-Châteaux

Hard

riders

Fontevraud – Fontaine champigny loop from Bellevigne-les-Châteaux

03:48

58.6km

470m

Gravel riding

Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: June 19, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine

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64 m

Brézé Castle

Highlight • Other

Classified as a "Grand site du Val de Loire", the Château de Brézé is a unique historical monument built between the 11th and 19th centuries. The castle stands proudly in a magnificent neo-Gothic style, but it is actually beneath the surface that the building's particularity lies, since it houses an entire underground network that constitutes a real fortress hidden under the rock. Initially built to protect against Viking invasions, the fortress has one of the deepest dry moats in Europe. Under the castle, there is a 3 km network of tunnels and rooms. These were in a way the first protective bunkers known in history, and housed bakeries, stables, dormitories, kitchens, a barrel room and even a silkworm farm.

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12.6 km

Château d'Eternes and its vineyard and cellars, Sainte-Marthe

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The first mention of the château dates back to 889. In 1881, General Delaveau settled there and made architectural modifications. Today, the property belongs to the Marteling family, who have reconstituted the vineyard. The 15 hectares of vines benefit from clay-limestone soil and several forms of intervention – disbudding, de-suckering, leaf thinning, etc. The harvests are manual and the cellars are dug into a chalky stone called tuffeau. The result: renowned wines, including the red Saumur Cabernet Franc – the main grape variety.

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36.0 km

Notre-Dame-de-Pitié Chapel

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Brief:
The Notre-Dame-de-Pitié chapel, dating from 1579, is remarkable for both its late Renaissance architecture and its interior decoration, which was completely rebuilt in 1871-1872 around the sculpted group of the Virgin of Pitié that it houses (a work that was handed over after thefts in 2003). The foundations of this chapel are historically linked to the officers of the Abbey of Fontevraud and to Abbess Éléonore de Bourbon. It should be noted that the renovation of the chapel after the Franco-Prussian War took place in connection with the Central Prison of Fontevraud, since prisoners contributed to the painted decorations.

The chapel is isolated and has not been maintained for decades. Today, it is in a worrying state: the striking elements of the sculpted furniture have disappeared or have been stored to prevent theft. The painted canvas has been altered and shows a general shabby-chic style. The murals are in some places very degraded (flaking, holes), as is the vault with false wainscoting on plaster laths.

A restoration of this interior and fixing the furniture in place would be necessary. This would undoubtedly also help to clarify the question of the decor that already existed in the 1871-1872 program.

Want to know more? Click on gertrude.paysdelaloire.fr/dossier/IA49010716

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36.7 km

Fontevraud

Highlight • Settlement

Located at the crossroads of Anjou, Touraine and Poitou, welcome to the Fontevraud-l'Abbaye Tourist Office, our travel advisors will welcome you in front of the Saint-Michel church to help you discover the destination.

Let us advise you and discover a village full of charm. Formed around the famous royal abbey, the Plantagenets necropolis, it is today a lively village, rich in numerous monuments, shops and craftsmen.

The Tourist Office offers you: a privileged welcome - a free wifi hotspot - a shop with a wide choice of regional products, gifts, books and souvenirs - good tips to visit more and spend less when buying your entrance tickets - a complete tourist guide - a website - but also to travel light, by leaving your luggage with us.

More information and opening hours at ot-saumur.fr/nl/sheets/vvv-kantoor-fontevraud-labbaye-5404626

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36.7 km

Fontaine Place des Plantagenets Fountevraud

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Place of cooling on the Place des Plantagenets. Every day thousands of passers-by pass here on their way to the highlight of Fountevraud, the Royal Abbey. This fountain in the form of a stone needle can perhaps cool you down. You also have a beautiful view over the square from this central point.

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36.7 km

Fontevraud Royal Abbey

Highlight • Religious Site

The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is one of the largest monastic communities in Europe dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a place with a rich history, located in the heart of the Loire Valley and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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42.2 km