A family bike trip through the Loire Valley, Part 2

Castles, food, and gorgeous landscapes

(Don’t forget to check out Part 1 of this trip here)

Day 3

The following day promised to be fairly easygoing. Only 9 km to our next destination. But if there is one part I would do differently, it was probably this stretch. There were multiple choices in terms of directions, and we opted to take one through the town of Charge. Alas, this included a drop of about 40 meters, and then a rather steep climb back up those 40 meters.

Still, we survived and arrived at Chateau de Clos Luce, still in mostly good humor.

The brick and freestone architecture was a very different look from anything we had seen up to that point. (Cost: €43 for 5 tickets.) But its claim to fame is that Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life here. The surrounding park is named for him and the chateau has a collection of various scientific gadgets from the era and holds various workshops and cultural events throughout the year.

Chateau de Close Luce

For lunch, we exited the grounds and walked directly across the street to a little restaurant called Le Maitre d’Art. We were lucky to get squeezed in and ordered a mix of quiches, charcuterie, soup, and salad that were delicious and satisfying. (Cost for lunch for 5: €88.)