Holiday rentals and lettings in the Loire

Whether you are a fan of museums or hiking, the Loire should seduce you. This department with its varied faces includes a wide selection of holiday rentals. Some are located in the heart of cities such as Saint-Étienne or Roanne, others in pretty little villages such as Champdieu, Saint-Jean-Saint-Maurice or Marols. These rentals come in all sizes and styles, from the urban loft with its sleek design to the large country house with a garden. Enjoy the time spent during your week's holiday in the Loire by staying in a pleasant, practical and comfortable accommodation.

The department takes its name from the river that crosses it for nearly 100 km. It is surrounded by the Saône-et-Loire, the Allier, the Puy-de-Dôme, the Haute-Loire, the Ardèche and the Rhône and belongs to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It includes several mountainous massifs, such as the Monts du Forez, the Monts de la Madeleine or the sommet du Pilat, but also vast plains and valleys. As you explore, you will have the impression that you will find yourself in Provence or in the heart of the Burgundy region, as the Loire presents such varied landscapes.

The prefecture of the Loire is Saint-Étienne, forty-five minutes by car from Lyon. It is the only city in the department with more than 50,000 inhabitants. The other main municipalities are Roanne, Saint-Chamond, Montbrison, Firminy and Rive-de-Gier. From Paris, the fastest way to get to the Loire is to take a TGV train from Lyon Station to Saint-Étienne. This direct journey is made four to six times a day and takes only 2 hours and 45 minutes. The rest of the time, you can also easily take a TGV to Lyon Part-Dieu station and then finish your journey with a TER to Saint-Étienne Châteaucreux. If you wish to explore the Loire countryside, however, you will appreciate being able to travel by car once you get there.

Just like Lyon, Saint-Étienne can boast of reference institutions. Its former weapons factory, Manufrance, now houses a place entirely dedicated to contemporary creation, the Cité du Design. In addition to presenting exciting exhibitions, it hosts a major event every two years, the International Design Biennale. Another very interesting place to visit is the Mine Museum. It is installed in the former buildings of the Puits Couriot, the last mining shaft in Stephan, closed in 1973. Visitors can walk through the various spaces and observe several emblematic places such as the large sink, the compressor room and the lamp maintenance workshop. The most impressive room is certainly the famous "Hanging Room", where miners hung their clothes before going down into the tunnels.

If Firminy is a small town of barely 17,000 inhabitants, it is home to the largest number of buildings built by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier, who is considered the father of the modern movement. The two most impressive are the Saint-Pierre church, a giant concrete cone with a dome pierced with holes to observe the constellations, and its Housing Unit. Comparable to the Cité Radieuse in Marseille, this 1965 building rises on 17 levels and has 414 rentals.

This mountainous massif located on the foothills of the Massif Central is the perfect setting for a hike or a bucolic walk. Its highest point is the Crêt de la Perdrix, from where you can see the Alpine massif in good weather. Don't miss the chirats, strange rock formations typical of Pilat, or go to the Saut du Gier, a pretty waterfall below the Ferme de la Jasserie.

The small village is known for its naturally sparkling water springs, marketed by Danone under the name of Badoit. It also has several thermal baths where you can enjoy a massage, a mud wrap or a relaxing scrub.

This zoological park, strategically located between Lyon and Saint-Étienne, features animal species from all five continents. You can see snow leopards, lynxes, tamarins, wolves, Malaysian bears and many species of primates.

The Loire has some winter sports resorts such as Chalmazel, in the Forez mountains. Its ski area culminates at an altitude of 1600 metres and includes 12 kilometres of slopes dedicated to alpine skiing. The Col de la Loge also offers snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. On sunny days, the resort's chairlift remains active to allow hikers to reach the peaks.

The Loire has many stately homes, including the Château de Bouthéon, an interesting synthesis of the Gothic, Renaissance and Neo-Gothic styles. The site includes not only the castle itself but also gardens, an animal park, spaces to host temporary exhibitions as well as an interpretation centre of the Forez and an aquarium.