Bordered by the Bay of Biscay and bathed by the Loire River, between Brittany and Normandy, this territory in western France covers six departments: Mayenne, Sarthe, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire and Vendée. A rural and cheerful region, the Pays de la Loire is characterized by a dynamic agriculture and a remarkable environment. Classified by Unesco, the Loire Valley is home to the varied biotopes of the banks of the Loire and the Loire-Anjou-Touraine regional nature park. The Normandy-Maine and Brière regional nature parks are also part of the first horticultural region in France, which hosts the magnificent Floralies Internationales de Nantes.
It is an ideal destination for families who can focus their stay on history and prehistory and around tourist highlights such as the Puy du Fou, Fontevraud Abbey or the start of the Vendée Globe, off the coast of Les Sables-d'Olonne. Come and see the smallest book in the world ( Nantes printing museum) and the replica of the largest gold nugget (Mange Cailloux museum in Mortagne-sur-Sèvre). Immense forests, hills and valleys, rivers and waterholes are the setting for numerous nature activities to be alternated with city stops in La Roche-sur-Yon, Nantes, Angers, the capital of the Angevin sweetness, or Le Mans and its 24 hours. You have the choice of atmospheres and activities: welcome to the farm, wine tourism or river tourism, cycling or horseback riding, without forgetting good restaurants. A flowery destination to enjoy. And to make sure you don't miss anything, take your Petit Futé Pays de la Loire guide!
If summer remains the high tourist season, with crowds and higher prices, especially for destinations like the seaside resorts of the Atlantic coast or sites like the Puy du Fou, which schedules its famous night shows from June to September, the off-seasons remain a good option for a stay in the Pays de la Loire. You can enjoy the mild weather in Angers all year round, but for the Floralies Internationales de Nantes, it's only once every five years and the next one will be in 2024. To hike in the forests of the Maine Normandy regional nature park, prefer the good season and even in the middle of summer you won't suffer from the heat wave, nor from too many people.
Set off along the Loire River, from spring onwards, for a journey at a pace that is well suited to the discovery of this green country adorned with bell towers, castles in the distance and gentle rolling hills. A few events can guide the programming of your stay in the Pays de la Loire: la Folle Journée in Nantes and in ten cities of the region, at the end of January-beginning of February; Les Jonquilles en fêtes, an annual parade of floats in Saint-Étienne-de-Montluc in April; Hellfest, one of the biggest hard rock festivals in France in June, in Clisson; Anjou Vélo Vintage in July; Les Accroche-Cœurs in Angers, a street performance festival, in September; or the International Film Festival in La Roche-sur-Yon in October. But beware of the departure of the Vendée Globe which takes place every four years - in 2020, 2024, etc. -program your stay very, very far in advance! The same goes for the 24h of Le Mans, in June.
The Pays de la Loire has an oceanic climate with southern influences, with temperatures often higher on the coast than inland. Generally, winters are mild, humid and often windy. In summer, hot weather is rare. The most touristic period in the Pays de la Loire is the summer, especially on the Atlantic coast. However, the weather is mild inland, from May to October.
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