Montsoreau & Candes-Saint-Martin: River Paths, Vineyards, Panoramas

There are some scenic running options in the beautiful, adjacent villages of Montsoreau and Candes-Saint-Martin, just east of Saumur. Montsoreau sits on the Loire River, with a hilltop castle and scenic vineyards in the hills just above town, while Candes-Saint-Martin lies at the confluence of the Loire & Vienne rivers. We’ve put together a few routes combining riverfront paths with some of the panoramic vineyard roads. They can be done standalone or combined!

River Route: The river path starts in Montsoreau near the D947 road, and heads west for 2.5 km. Then the path turns left inland for another 0.5 km (it’s also possible to continue another 0.8 km further west along the river). There are nice water views most of the way. Do as a 5 km out and back,  or combine with the vineyard route below for a 14 km run. Can also run 0.5 km east to Candes-Saint-Martin and combine with our 5k route there.

Vineyard Route. For a longer run, we suggest heading into the quiet roads in the hills above the river. Run south on Rue des Martyrs for 2 km to the Rue des Vins. a designated scenic road passing by vineyards, with great views of the river and town below. The road goes west for ~3 km. To get back to town, use one of the scenic (but unnamed) roads descending down the hill into Montsoreau.

Candes-Saint-Martin. A short but magical run! Start in the center of this tiny, scenic village and head west on the Loire river road (narrow sidewalk) for 1 km to the Château de Montsoreau. Retrace your steps for 0.3 km, and turn RIGHT on Rue de Puits St.-Michel, which goes up the hill and leads to the aptly named Rue de Panorama, for some nice hillside vineyard running. At 2.4 km, LEFT to the Candes St. Martin observation deck, then down the hill on Sert des Cavaliers to town. Then, take D7 to cross the bridge over the Loire, where you can run to the point where the Loire & Vienne rivers converge. Longer Option: Continue east on the small road/path along the Vienne for up to 5 km to Port Guyout. Scenic and no traffic. You can also combine the Candes-Saint-Martin route with the Montsoreau route, which starts 0.5 km west of the Château de Montsoreau.