Hotel le Champalud 3*

Opposite the church in Champtoceaux, the small and friendly Hotel le Champalud offers all you need for that relaxing break - from its cosy cellar bar/brasserie and excellent restaurant (closed Fri/Sat/Sun) to the delightfully decorated bedrooms and welcoming staff. A plentiful buffet breakfast is served each morning to set you up for the day exploring this beautiful area. This is a popular place if you're doing a cycling tour or taking bikes as there's a garage for bicycle/motorbike storage available for guests to use. Pet accepted 11€/night. Free public parking.

The appealing village of Champtoceaux sits on a hill and has stunning views over the Loire. Its roots can be traced back to the Stone Age, and the present village was built a short distance from the site of the original fortified city which was destroyed in 1420. Take a river cruise from Champtoceaux on board 'La Luce' for a memorable trip along this less well known part of the Loire (1 April-1 October, tickets from the tourist office, behind the church). This is a great way to discover the flora and fauna of the river banks plus wonderful views of the Folies-Siffait and the tower of Oudon (a painting of this scene by Turner hangs in the Tate in London) and the Château de Clermont - there's commentary in French from the guide on board and binoculars are provided. Just 100m from your hotel, the Champalud gardens have a panoramic outlook over the Loire and there are several lovely walks from here including one along a wooden path to La Patache river port. You can also visit the village's wine caves to sample and buy some bottles to take home.

The beautiful city of Nantes is only a 40 minute drive. As well as some modern architecture there are historic riverside buildings and cobbled streets in the old city which is good to explore on foot. It's also the capital of Muscadet wines produced locally which are a great accompaniment to seafood.