Vélo Francette
From the Channel to the Atlantic
If you like cycling, you’ve come to the right place by deciding to stay in Château-Gontier. You’re practically halfway along the Vélo Francette, a 600 km cycling route that links Ouistreham by the English Channel to La Rochelle by the Atlantic. No matter what your physical condition, the composition of your family or which places interest you, this large cycle route will suit your needs.
Indeed, it can become a sort of wine route, stretching from the department of Calvados in Normandy to Charente-Maritime on the Atlantic via the wine-producing departments of Maine-et-Loire (Saumur) and Deux-Sèvres (Niort). Then there’s the route connecting major equestrian towns, home to star breeds of horses like the French Trotter, the Anglo-Arabian and the English Thoroughbred, as well as jumping and track events. There’s also a route that covers all sorts of heritage, from natural to cultural, architectural or artistic. In Château-Gontier, the cycle route utilises the former towpath.