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Terres d'Azay-Chinon

Chinon, Vienne and Loire

Walk back in time through the beautiful medieval town of Chinon where you shall take the time to admire each house with wooden corners. Raise your eyes, the Royal Fortress of Chinon overlooks and guards the town. Located between the Loire and the Vienne, you can go aboard traditional boats of the Loire Valley and sail to the confluence in Candes-Saint-Martin, classified as the Most Beautiful Villages of France.

Land of history but also for good life and good eating, welcome to the native soils of François Rabelais, the epicurean humanist! Visit his native home in Seuilly, 7 km away from Chinon in the heart of the AOC Chinon vineyards, the opportunity to taste also the good wine of Chinon in its numerous wine cellars and vineyards.

Chinon and its medieval area

Old fortified town along Vienne, you will discover Chinon walking through its numerous alleys with its beautiful houses with wooden corners. Don’t miss the street Voltaire with its famous Red House located today next to the Carroi-Museum, museum of art and history of Chinon. The history can be read through each house of the town, from the 15th century half-timbered house to the beautiful mansions of the 16th to the 18th century. Around the collegiate church Saint-Mexme, you will also discover nice houses of canons. The town can be visited with a tour available at the tourist office but also with a guided tour along with a lecturing guide of Chinon, town of Art and History.

Treasures on the hillsides...

Climb by using either the elevator, the stairs (107 steps for sportsmen) or the street Jeanne d’Arc (put your foot as she did on the well edge at the beginning of the street!) to admire the panoramic view and enter the Royal Fortress.

While you walk along the hillsides, you will reach a place that is to be deserved: the Sainte-Radegonde Chapel, a semi-troglodytic chapel nestled in the hillside, famous for its beautiful 12th mural showing a royal hunting scene.

Collégiale Saint-Mexme
A.Poveda

Olivier Debré's stained glass, Collégiale Saint-Mexme

Fresque de la Chapelle Sainte-Radegonde
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Sainte-Radegonde Chapel

The spirit of Rabelais is everywhere in Chinon and its surroundings… The gentle way of life, the tasty specialties and the good wines of Chinon. The Devinière in Seuilly, birthplace of François Rabelais, today welcomes its museum dedicated to his life and his works. You can also reach via an interpretation path, a country house during the season (from April to September) where you can buy local products.

« Always drink, never die », he wrote, even if alcohol is to be drunk in moderation, a good glass of cabernet franc, either red or rosé or of chenin for white wine warms the taste buds and hearts. More than 200 wine growers for the AOC Chinon will be delighted to welcome you and make you taste their vintages. Follow the wine route along the Vienne and discover the beautiful troglodytic cellars

This is with a good glass of Chinon wine that you will enjoy our numerous specialties: warm Touraine salad rillons, rillettes of Tours or of Loire fish: silurid, mullet, shad, river lamprey, eel, zander, with a touch of Touraine saffron.

Come and discover our AOC Sainte Maure de Touraine cheese accompanied by the Rabelaisian fouace, a real small brioche bread covered with a walnut and sweetened with honey and spices. Continue this gastronomic visit by tasting the vineyard’s tart, tasty caramel-coated fine pastry, with apples and topped with a confit of red wine.

Les vignes de Chinon
A.Poveda

Chinon Vineyard

Musée Rabelais, La Devinière, Seuilly, Touraine, Val de Loire, Expérience Chinon
©stevens-fremont

La Devinière, François Rabelais's childhood house

The Loire and the Vienne rivers meet 15 km west of Chinon, in one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France, Candes-Saint-Martin. A beautiful collegiate church dedicated to Saint-Martin of Tours will welcome you as well as a magnificent panorama on the confluence at the top of the village. At that time, the rivers were traversed by many boats of the Loire Valley for trade, fishing… Discover this flourishing period at the Mariners’ Museum in Chouzé-sur-Loire but also at the Ecomuseum of Véron which will explain you the history of the bocage of the peninsula of Véron between the Loire and the Vienne.

Confluence à Candes-Saint-Martin
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Candes-Saint-Martin's confluence

Bateau traditionnel
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Boat of the Loire Valley

Les incontournables
cave_monplaisir_chinon_Noel_2022_claude_vidal
Cellars, Products on sale

Cave Monplaisir

CHINON
Forteresse_Chinon_Credit_ADT_Touraine_JC_Coutand-2030-1
Jean-Christophe COUTAND MEHEUT
Museum - Interpreting centre, Historical sites and monuments

Royal Fortress of Chinon

CHINON
Historical sites and monuments

Cave Plouzeau

CHINON
Cellars

LA SIBYLLE CELLAR

PANZOULT
Rabelais_Slow_Tourisme_311_BD
Stevens Frémont
Museum - Interpreting centre, Historical sites and monuments

Rabelais Museum

SEUILLY
Boat Trip with CNVL - Compagnie de Navigation Vienne Loire
ADT Touraine / Jean-Christophe Coutand
Outing boats

CNVL – Boat trips on the Vienne and the Loire

CHINON
Other - Bâteau

Amarante boat

CANDES-SAINT-MARTIN
Ecomusee02
CC CVL
Museum - Interpreting centre

Véron Ecomuseum

SAVIGNY-EN-VERON
musee_mariniers_martinienne_chouze-sur-loire_5
Museum - Interpreting centre

Loire Sailors Museum

CHOUZE-SUR-LOIRE
le_carroi_chinon-credit_cccvl_2025_2
Museum - Interpreting centre, Historical sites and monuments

Art and History Museum

CHINON
La loire en bateau Candes-Saint-Martin- Confluenceby Enpaysdelaloire
La loire en bateau Candes-Saint-Martin- Confluenceby Enpaysdelaloirecom
Julie

Rien de tel  pour terminer la journée qu'une balade en toue cabanée avec une dégustation de produits locaux.

Céline

La confluence de la Vienne et de la Loire à Candes-Saint-Martin. Une vue imprenable sur la loire, fleuve majestueux et sauvage...

Avoine Zone Groove
A.Poveda
Fabienne

Le Festival Avoine Zone Groove, des artistes de renommée internationale à deux pas de Chinon ! 

Forêt de Chinon
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Frédérique

Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt en plein coeur de la forêt domaniale de Chinon. C'est un point de départ idéal pour les amoureux de randonnée et pour les adeptes d'activités sportives (accrobranche).

Isabelle

La galerie caquetoire de l'église de la Roche-Clermault.
Située en bas du village, l'église et son caquetoire invitent à la confidence.

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    En premier plan, un groupe de personnes sur les bords de la Vienne, à Chinon. En arrière-plan, nous voyons la partie médiévale de Chinon, surplombée par la forteresse
    Des moments partagés entre amis sur les berges de la Vienne, avec la magnifique forteresse de Chinon en toile de fond.

    Détente

    Poires-tapées-Rivarennes-Val de loire gastronomie
    Recette traditionnelle Poires-tapées-Rivarennes-Val de loire gastronomie

    Gourmandise

    La loire en bateau Candes-Saint-Martin- Confluenceby Enpaysdelaloire
    La loire en bateau Candes-Saint-Martin- Confluenceby Enpaysdelaloirecom

    Barque à fond plat

    Médiévales

    Spectacle de danse

    Que d'eau

    Grand dehors

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