Big Rivers

The Touraine Loire Valley is a landscape dominated by rivers. The largest, and the only one to reach the sea, is the Loire itself, which flows east to west through the area. Feeding in to the Loire are a number of large tributaries, most of them flowing from south to north and entering the Loire on its left bank. These rivers are slow moving and tree lined.

The Vienne river in flood at Nouâtre sur Vienne.

Sadly, the water meadows alongside rivers are often converted to poplar plantations, creating a monoculture and threatening wet grassland plants such as Snakeshead Fritillary Fritillaria meleagris.

The Creuse River at Fontgombault in the Brenne.

The Creuse River at Fontgombault in the Brenne.

The Indre River at Ussé.

An old fording place on the River Vienne, on what was formerly the estate of the Chateau des Ormes. Many places did not have bridges, but only fords (Fr. gué). It was pouring with rain when this picture was taken and the river running quite high and strong