Both peaceful and restful, the charming, bucolic Thouet Valley, ideal for a cycling holiday, is an invitation to get away from it all. The valley's pastoral landscape is dotted with picturesque bridges over the peaceful river, such as the medieval bridge of Vernay and the Romanesque bridge of Gourgé, as well as beautiful places to stop:
the small character town of Airvault, with its remarkable Romanesque Abbey Church of St. Peter, underground fountain, market hall, timber-framed houses, old castle and museum of popular arts and traditions in the abbey lodge;
Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet Castle, in the commune of Saint-Loup-Lamairé, built in the 17th century on the site of an old medieval fortress, of which a keep and moat still remain, with its superb French-style gardens and wooded park, a listed Historic Monument; and the towns of Art and History of Thouars and Parthenay, with a rich built heritage.
