Montreuil Bellay (Within 10 minute drive or 20 min cycle ride from La Grande Maison)

Chateau open to public, restaurants, cafes, local food market, flea/antique market, river with canoeing, wineries with tastings, outdoor swimming pool, tourist info office. Historically interesting town. We recommend the restaurant Auberge des Isles and a chateau visit.

Saumur (Within 20 mins drive from La Grande Maison)

Saumur Chateau, river Loire with boat trips, distillery, national equestrian centre, good market Saturday morning, restaurants, wine bars, theatre, Maison du vin, churches. We love Barre au Chocolat (chocolate shop), Le Tonnelle wine bar, views from the Belvedere at Saumur Chateau, all the sparkling wine houses!

 Chateau Breze : Stunning chateau with massive network of tunnels and caves, wineries.

Villages along the Loire: Gennes, Cunault, Treves, Les Rosiers sur Loire, St Clements sur Loire and Le Thoureil. There are cycle routes through all these villages.

Gennes: Roman amphitheatre, river Loire, outdoor swimming pool, church & memorial to WW11 young soldiers, restaurants,cafes, bars. Canoeing on Loire.

Cunault & Treves: church with longest unsupported nave in Europe, 10C tower, signposted walks, beach access.

Les Rosiers sur Loire : View from church tower, restaurants, craftshop, cafes, walks on river bank, flea market.

St Clements sur Loire, church, boulangerie, cafe, riverside walk, quay with boats. We love the boulangerie especially the chocolate bread.

 Le Thoureil: restaurant, cafe, interesting varied architecture, beautiful riverside village, lots of traditional boats, boat trips. We love boat trips with Reves de Loire & restaurant La Route De Sel.

Angers: (Within 40 mins drive from La Grande Maison)

Historical city with TGV rail links, cathedral, chateau, art museum, river Maine, shopping. chateau de Serrant nearby

Chinon : chateau, river Vienne, history of Joan of Arc,

Fontevraud: stunning abbey with comprehensive Plantagenet history, Michelin starred restaurant, cafes.

Montsoreau : Loire side village, excellent flea/antique market on some Sundays, restaurants, cafes, boat trips, chateau.

Candes St. Martin, pretty riverside village, wine bar, restaurant, pottery shop, jewellers, church dedicated to St Martin. We recommend Enfin du Vin wine bar.

Many of the major Loire Chateaux: Villandry, Usse, Chenonceau, Chambord, Cheverney, Langeais are less that 1 hours 30 minutes from La Grande Maison and make an easy day out.

Le Mans : Plantagenet history, 24 hours Grand Prix.

Closer to home and within easy walking distance from La Grande Maison there are plenty of walks (dog friendly) to local villages ( eg. Argentay, Le Puy Notre Dame, Les Verchers sur Layon)

Visit the Brewery at Les Basses Fontaines

Wineries with tastings available: eg:  Domaine Vieux Pressoir, Domaine Noades (O) Domaine de la Reniere, Domaine Fiervaux, Domaine Armand David, Domaine de la Paleine (O), Domaine de Guyons, Melaric (O) etc...

Cafes at Le Puy Notre Dame, Les Verchers sur Layon

Restaurant at Le Puy a Vins

Churches at Le Puy Notre Dame and Les Verchers sur Layon / Lake at Argentay / Boulangeries at Le Puy Notre Dame, Les Verchers sur Layon. / Market Sun am Le Puy Notre Dame

Doué en Anjou (10 minutes drive from La Grande Maison)

Restaurants, cafés, indoor swimming pool, underground dwellings, underground restaurants, museums eg sarcophagus and stone quarrying, national rose centre, bio parc (internationally acclaimed zoo), tourist info office. We recommend Restaurant Auberge Bienvenue, Doue Zoo, Sarcophagus museum.

Rochemenier : Underground village, museum, restaurant, ( all underground) church, cafe.

Le Puy Notre Dame & Sanziers : Working mushroom cave and museum, wineries, jam production (also at Vaudelnay)

Signposted walk through vineyards, wineries with tastings, church, restaurants (2), cafe, chemist, boulangerie. We love restaurant Le Puy a Vins & Jacky's mushroom cave.

Thouars: Good food market on Friday mornings, new outdoor and indoor swim complex, Chateau d'Oiron nearby.