Where is loire river

During floods, the river rises rapidly, and the fast current makes navigation dangerous as soon as depths of about 2m have been reached.

This important link is included in the distance table. The river becomes fully navigable with reservations, see below at its confluence with the river Maine at Bouchemaine. The total distance from the confluence at Bouchemaine to the sea at Saint-Nazaire is km. The inland waterway ends at the port of Nantes. From here the Loire estuary is a maritime waterway, but for convenience the distance table is continued down to Saint-Nazaire.

The following indications apply only to the inland waterway section, and for navigation in the estuary reference should be made to nautical publications. History — In the port of Nantes numbered more inland waterway craft than any other port in France. However, the hazardous free-flow navigation and limited tonnages meant that railways rapidly killed off the surviving traffic from the s.

In a company was set up to promote improvements to the navigation from Nantes to Briare. The works were authorised in and carried out in two phases from Angers to the limit of tides at Oudon. They accompany a refined gastronomy which gives pride of place to its fish caught in abundance and the meats coming from the regional agriculture, without forgetting the cheeses. Until the nineteenth century the Loire remained the most important means of communication for the transit of goods.

From the heights of Saint-Rambert, 80 kms of road barely separated it from the Rhone which opens the way to the Mediterranean. Printing took off directly from intellectual emulation. It is the nobility who launched here "the art of living the French way". This landscape testifies to harmonious development between man and his environment over two thousand years of history. The Loire, cradle of river navigation, also tells the story of the marine industry with Saint-Nazaire as its figurehead.

At the "terminus" of the Loire, just after Nantes , one of the largest shipyards in Europe perpetuates a world-renowned know-how. It is the pride of a long line of sailors who have the memory of beautiful days of navigation pegged to the heart. Until the nineteenth century, thousands of sailing boats were used to transport passengers and various goods.

But the arrival of the extended railway from Orleans to Tours in and six years later to Nantes , plunged more than sailors into the mourning as the Loire marine was sacrificed on the altar of modernity and the rapidity. The last steamboats with their characteristic profile disappeared from the landscape at the dawn of the twentieth century. And now, years after the last steamboats, in , a new cabin tourism ship discovers this exceptional environment, respectful to these capricious waters.

A new generation paddle steamer, the MS Loire Princesse , model of modern technology, unique in the world, pays tribute to the naval industry engraved in the history of the Loire. An idea engaged by CroisiEurope. Loire Valley river cruises. We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience.

By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies. One of the few obstacle, the Villerest dam, built in just south of Roanne has played a key-role in preventing recent flooding, making the Loire a popular river for boating trips flowing through attractive countryside, tofu cliffs and beautiful chateaux.

Click on link below for good info on the source of the river:. Video through Val de Loire. Back to top. Loire wines. Regional map Chateaux map What's on. French national holiday dates. River Loire - Loire Valley Of the major cultural landscapes featuring river valleys in Europe perhaps the Loire Valley is the most famous.