Last July I started this new series with the idea that I would champion the ‘His and Hers’ rivers of France. My first post, which you can read Here, took readers along the length of Le Loir. Today, I’m back with the commencement of a journey along the length of the sister river, La Loire.
At 1,006 kilometres (that’s 625 miles) in length, La Loire is the longest river in France. It is also a fleuve rather than a rivière. A fleuve is a river that flows into the sea. A rivière flows from its source into one or more other rivers or fleuves. In that respect, La Loire has got points over her little brother! The river drains over 45,000 square miles of land, which represents more than a fifth of the country's total area. In addition, she gives her name to six different départements, but she flows through a total of twelve of them on the journey from her source in the Cévennes to the Atlantic Ocean at St-Nazaire.
La Loire rises at 1,350 metres (4,430 feet) above sea level on one side of Le Gerbier de Jonc in the département of Ardèche in the north-eastern quarter of the fabulously rugged scenery of the Cévennes. The nearest town is Ste-Eulalie. At this point, the river is a shadow of its more mature self. From the Cévennes, the river flows pretty much north until it reaches Orléans, where she takes a left-turn and continues her route to the northwest
corner of the Bay of Biscay.
corner of the Bay of Biscay.
At its source, it’s a particularly disappointing pool of brownish water. The river meanders down and around the mountain in a mostly northerly fashion. Because of the varied geography of the route of the river it is divided into sections. The upper reaches stretch from the source to its confluence with the Allier. This is the least navigable part of the river, which runs through a steep, narrow valley that is heavily wooded. The middle section runs from the confluence with the Allier across a much broader alluvial plain to the confluence with the river Maine. The final section is from the Maine to the estuary, where the river flows into the sea. It is these latter two sections that I will be travelling along for the most part.
For my next post, I will be taking you to Digoin, a small town that sits on the river La Loire, a little before meeting the Allier on one side of Nevers. I hope you will join me on February 4th
If you would like to read my journey along Le Loir, just click the links below…
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