Côte Roannaise
La Côte Roannaise and its character villages
Take a trip back through history in the five character villages of this wine-growing area : Ambierle, Le Crozet, St Haon, Le Châtel, St Jean St Maurice sur Loire and Charlieu. They are all expert at attracting visitors’ attention to their turbulent or prosperous past ! Enjoy a stroll around these little gems in beautiful natural settings and visit the cellars of some of the 30 producers of La Côte Roannaise wine-growing area (PDO since 1994).
Water-bottling towns (Badoit - Parot - St-Alban) and the spa town of Montrond les Bains
La Loire is a region where water gushes out of springs. Here you can see Badoit, St Alban and Parot naturally sparkling waters but they aren’t in a bottle !
Plunge into the world of Badoit and discover one of the finest waters served at French tables ! Or St Alban, recognised as naturally sparkling in 1878, which bubbles out of the ground in the middle of Côte Roannaise wine-growing area. And let’s not forget the Parot springs ! However, before tasting the naturally sparkling mineral waters, follow guides from the Office de Tourisme on a tour of the bottling plant.
La Véloire greenway (traffic-free path)
"La Véloire", a new 21km-long greenway in the north of the Loire département, is a perfect way for cyclists, roller-skaters and people with reduced mobility to discover the beautiful, rural Roannais scenery.
Starting from the Port de Roanne, the trail follows the towpath beside the Roanne - Digoin Canal nicknamed ""Le Canal Tranquille (the peaceful canal)"", to the marina at Briennon. On the way it passes the River Sornin, a metallic Eiffel type bridge built in 1880 and the character village of Charlieu classed as one of the ""100 plus Beaux Détours de France"". The Saône et Loire département is very nearby and the ""Véloire"" is connected to its network of greenways, opening up multiple cycle touring itineraries at national and international level.
Discover the Loire département, La Cité du Design at St Etienne, the Gorges de la Loire and the ski resort of Chalmazel-Jeansagnière with Gîtes de France Loire."
