The Loire rises near my house in the Auvergne. At first it passes through small villages where all it does is keep the local communal washing places busy and water the pastures of cows and sheep. The main towns and cities in the Loire Valley running east to west start with Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne where the river is a modest burble. It is possible to do all the attractions in one day though you might find you have to cut some a little short or bypass others.
Le Puy-en-Velay is my nearest big town in France. The religious statues and buildings rising out of the town on volcanic pinnacles give the town a theatricality out of all proportion to its fame. From Le Puy take the D that runs mainly beside the still small Loire river.
The road takes you beside the Loire. There are no spectacular sights to stop at, just a drive through the Auvergne with its wide open spaces and rolling hills.
Today the buildings have been renovated and transformed in this design city. It was the first regional museum of modern art and has a huge collection. A surprising find and well worth the detour! Drive north into the glorious Gorges de la Loire on the D with the river on your left. Stop to look at it; its strategic position gave it huge importance from the 13 th century onwards.
Keeping to the scenic route, go back to the junction with the little D56 road which winds its way along the Loire. But worth a stop for its port, the old quarter, its superb Fine Arts Museum which houses one of the best Egyptology collections in France. From Roanne take the D with the Loire still on your left. The road becomes the D after Iguerande. Then Bourbon-Lancy appears just off the D on the D The town is worth a stop for its walled medieval area dating back to Standing on a hill, its wooden frame-houses crowd the small streets.
