Camping Domaine de la Rive du Bois

Plunge right into the vast expanse of forest for hiking and biking trails to keep you roaming for weeks; make for swimming, fishing, canoeing and beach basking at the nearby Étang de la Vallée, or access treks on four hooves via horse riding from Ouzouer-sur-Loire 40 minutes away. Towns and cities are within easy reach too: start off at Bellegarde (20 minutes), to see its castle and Notre Dame church, then stroll along the pretty cobbled streets for a good selection of cafés, bars and restaurants. Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire (35 minutes) is famed for Fleury Abbey, founded in the eighth century and now one of the best-known Benedictine monasteries in western Europe. And then onto Orléans, for its 17th-century Gothic cathedral, arts museum and Joan of Arc House. After your historic Orléans sightseeing, pootle around the city parks for a more restful hour or two: there's the Parc Louis-Pasteur, with boat pond, steam train rides and puppet theatre; the botanical setting ofJardin des Plantes, and the splendid Parc Floral de la Source, to the south of the Loire.