Blou combines a 16-kilometre circular trail with Romanesque heritage and a history stretching from the quarrying of white tuffeau stone to a 17th-century château. The landscape also has its own distinctive appeal: the Butte de Blou offers panoramic views over the Loire Valley. When planning your trip, you can choose between outdoor activities, architecture and traces of past uses.
The circular trail between Blou and Neuillé
The “Entre Blou et Neuillé” walking trail is 16 kilometres long. It passes through forests and vegetable-growing areas in the communes of Blou and Neuillé, and offers the opportunity to discover châteaux and washhouses. The distance gives you a practical guide for planning your day: set aside a dedicated time slot for the trail rather than treating it as a brief stopover.
The route links different landscapes and cultural landscape features, without requiring you to focus on any one particular destination. Check the trail conditions before setting out. This will help you tailor your outing to current conditions and fit the circular trail into your plans.
Panoramic views from the Butte de Blou
The Butte de Blou rises to 109 metres above sea level and is described as the highest point in the region. From there, panoramic views stretch across the Loire Valley. Alongside the walking route, this provides a clearly defined landscape feature: the elevation and the view offer different ways to get to know Blou’s surroundings.
On a clear day, the towers of Angers Cathedral can be seen from 45 kilometres away. Clear visibility is essential for this distant view.
Church, tuffeau stone and history
Notre-Dame de Blou is a 12th-century Romanesque church and part of the “Eglises Accueillantes” network. Its name, architectural style and century place the church in a specific historical context; its membership of the network adds a visitor-focused dimension.
The history of tuffeau stone goes back further: large quantities of white tuffeau stone have been quarried on the Butte since antiquity. The stone was prized for its whiteness and quality, and widely used for buildings in the surrounding area. This offers another way to explore local building history: through the material used in nearby structures.
The many galleries dug into the Butte tell of a later use: in the last century, they were used to grow Paris mushrooms. Quarrying and mushroom cultivation are therefore distinct chapters in the area’s history of human use.
The Château de la Modtais dates from the 17th century. A Buddhist congregation acquired it with the aim of turning it into an international study centre for the “Yungdrung Bön” tradition. The château adds a distinct, more recent historical chapter to the medieval church and the older history of tuffeau stone.
Planning a hotel stay in Blou
If you’re looking for a hotel in Blou, your preferred focus can be a useful starting point for planning your trip: would you like to concentrate mainly on the church, the history of tuffeau stone and the château, or include the 16-kilometre circular trail? Set aside suitable time slots and decide how you would like to balance the walk with the local history.
Discover more destinations: Brissarthe, La Chapelle-Saint-Florent, Saint-Georges-des-Sept-Voies, Sainte-Christine, Vivy, Andrezé, La Chapelle-Sur-Oudon, Cheviré-Le-Rouge.
See the regional travel overview: Maine-Et-Loire.
