Drain: Walking Trails, Loire Landscapes and Village History

Explore Drain through its named places and walking routes: the “Circuit découverte des boires de Drain” leads into the Loire landscape, while “Mémoire de village” puts local stories at the heart of the experience. There are also chapels, a vineyard experience and a cycle route. When planning, the main difference is the type of outing: a one-hour walk, a historical tour, a cultural event or a longer cycling route.

Walking Trails and River Landscapes

The “Circuit découverte des boires de Drain” is 2.8 km long and marked in red as an easy walking trail. It starts at the car park of the Beauregrêt municipal campsite. The circular route is closed when the Loire is in flood, so take this into account when planning. The walk takes one hour; the stated distance and duration apply only to this route, not to the other trails in the area.

The route passes the Boires de la Rompure and de la Nigaudière, as well as extensive natural meadows along the Loire. Sandbanks offer the opportunity to observe typical river birds such as herons, great egrets, ducks and waders. A 2.5 km nature trail has also been created at the boires to raise awareness of biodiversity and its protection. This means there is both a marked walking route with a stated duration and a nature trail with its own focus.

Routes Between the Loire and the Vineyards

The “Entre Loire et Vignoble” route crosses the Loire floodplain and its boires, former side channels of the Loire. During seasonal floods, they fill up again and form important wetlands: fish use them as spawning grounds, while birds use them as breeding areas. The route also passes the historic Pont Romain and runs through hamlets with traditional architecture combining local stone and tuffeau limestone. The landscape, water system and building style can be seen as different aspects of the same route.

For a cycling outing, Drain has the 22 km “La Loire à Vélo, de Champtoceaux à Liré – Entre boire et histoire” route. Compared with the 2.8 km walking trail, it is the considerably longer marked route and is specifically intended for cycling. Check the route details before setting off. The information about the two routes helps you distinguish between the preferred type and length of outing.

Village History and Chapels

The “Mémoire de village” historical tour takes you through the town centre and tells the stories of the people and places that have shaped Drain. It is free and can be explored independently. It offers a different way to discover the area than the route through the river landscape: the focus is not on the boires and sandbanks, but on the history of the village.

The Chapelle Sainte Apolline is a 19th-century chapel built by the architect Moriceau, overlooking the Loire Valley. It stands on the site of the former Notre-Dame church, of which only the choir remains. During the 2019 restoration, the façades, entrance door and bell turret were repaired. This stop brings together a named building and several layers of local history.

Art and Wine as Further Themes

The summer Art et Chapelles trail combines contemporary art with religious heritage. It has taken place every summer for more than 20 years in chapels across the Maine-et-Loire département. In Drain, it includes the Chapelle des Galloires and the Chapelle Sainte Apolline. At each participating chapel, a guide helps visitors discover the site. Artists and dates vary from one edition to another.

At Domaine des Galloires, visitors can learn about winemaking and vineyard work, visit a tasting cellar, and enjoy views over the Loire Valley and the vineyard slopes. A self-guided walk through the vineyards is also available to book, with a gourmet picnic as an optional extra. Booking and seasonal availability may vary, as may the tasting arrangements. The Toublanc family has farmed vineyards for seven generations and produces wines under the Muscadet, Coteaux d’Ancenis, Anjou and Crémant de Loire appellations.

Discover more destinations: Gesté, La Séguinière, Faye-D'anjou, Saint-Rémy-En-Mauges, Blaison-Gohier, Brissac-Quincé, Saint-Mathurin-Sur-Loire, Rochefort-Sur-Loire.

For the broader travel overview: Maine-Et-Loire.