Candes-Saint-Martin: view of Loire
Looking upriver at a fishing boat on the Loire, viewed from the commune of Candes-Saint-Martin (in the département of Indre-et-Loire, located in the Centre-Val de Loire region in west-central France), on a clear morning in mid-October (2016).
This riverbank spot is on or very near the border with the village of Montsoreau (in the département of Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire region). Both villages are located on the left (southern) bank of the Loire, just below the confluence of the Vienne and the Loire. In the distance, a steamy cloud can be seen, billowing up from the Centrale nucléaire de Chinon (Chinon Nuclear Power Plant), which lies along the Loire near Avoine (in Indre-et-Loire).
Candes and Montsoreau are each designated as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France). They are within the Vallée de la Loire UNESCO World Heritage Site, which extends from Sully-sur-Loire down through Chalonnes.
Because the Loire is too shallow to support large boats or barges, today it is not a major commercial corridor as the Seine, Rhône, or Rhine are -- which is a boon to fauna, flora, and human visitors seeking peace and quiet! This area is within the Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine (Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Natural Park) and the Espace naturel sensible (ENS) Vallée de la Loire (Loire Valley Sensitive Natural Area). Agricultural and viticultural as well, it is part of the wine appellation Coteaux de Saumur.
(Information from Wikipedia and the UNESCO World Heritage Site website, most recently viewed 30 September 2020; information about the departmental boundary checked on multiple digital maps as well as the Michelin map Indre-et-Loire, Maine-et-Loire (France départemental 317), édition 13 (Boulogne-Billancourt: Michelin Travel Partner, 2015).)
[Candes-Saint-Martin boat Loire plume 2016 oct 11 f; DSCF0357]
Candes-Saint-Martin: view of Loire
Looking upriver at a fishing boat on the Loire, viewed from the commune of Candes-Saint-Martin (in the département of Indre-et-Loire, located in the Centre-Val de Loire region in west-central France), on a clear morning in mid-October (2016).
This riverbank spot is on or very near the border with the village of Montsoreau (in the département of Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire region). Both villages are located on the left (southern) bank of the Loire, just below the confluence of the Vienne and the Loire. In the distance, a steamy cloud can be seen, billowing up from the Centrale nucléaire de Chinon (Chinon Nuclear Power Plant), which lies along the Loire near Avoine (in Indre-et-Loire).
Candes and Montsoreau are each designated as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France). They are within the Vallée de la Loire UNESCO World Heritage Site, which extends from Sully-sur-Loire down through Chalonnes.
Because the Loire is too shallow to support large boats or barges, today it is not a major commercial corridor as the Seine, Rhône, or Rhine are -- which is a boon to fauna, flora, and human visitors seeking peace and quiet! This area is within the Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine (Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Natural Park) and the Espace naturel sensible (ENS) Vallée de la Loire (Loire Valley Sensitive Natural Area). Agricultural and viticultural as well, it is part of the wine appellation Coteaux de Saumur.
(Information from Wikipedia and the UNESCO World Heritage Site website, most recently viewed 30 September 2020; information about the departmental boundary checked on multiple digital maps as well as the Michelin map Indre-et-Loire, Maine-et-Loire (France départemental 317), édition 13 (Boulogne-Billancourt: Michelin Travel Partner, 2015).)
[Candes-Saint-Martin boat Loire plume 2016 oct 11 f; DSCF0357]