Loire Odyssée, to get better acquainted with the Loire

In images: 

Une odyssée en Loire - A Saint-Mathurin-sur-Loire, la nouvelle maison du fleuve (Ouest-France 49)  

An all-embracing offer

Tourism and cultural reception

The centre has a wide range of products and services on offer, including ticketing, tourist and heritage information to help prepare your stay or leisure activities, and a shop with a selection of local products focusing on the Loire; lockers and bicycle stalls in immediate proximity. 

Extending on from the reception area, an initial area open to all invites visitors to get better acquainted with the Loire region in general, providing them with a first taste before they go on to the paying areas to gain more in-depth knowledge. 

“The Loire, a river and humankind” visit

The new itinerary aims to be a fun, interactive experience, presenting the river and its history via 3 areas: 

• the “biodiversity” islet, to recognise natural environments and the emblematic species they harbour.
• the “flood and accommodations” islet, to discover the capriciousness that rivers can display and the problems encountered by those who live near them.
• the “present and future issues” islet, for balanced management of hydrological and natural heritage.

In connection with the “Great Rivers of the World Biennial” event, a renewable exhibition puts another river in the spotlight, the current focus being the Danube. 

The visit includes a film telling the river’s story in images and music, a tale marked by floods, ice and periods of low water. 

Zoom in on the Flood-risk House

This interactive tool puts you in the middle of a flood-warning situation: a siren goes off! On with the oilskins and rubber boots and down to work making your home safe. Identifying dangerous items, cutting off water and electricity, putting together your survival kit and so on… Simple enough actions certainly, but well worth knowing! 

Programming

Activities run by the Maison de Loire en Anjou association are on offer throughout the year: 

• educational workshops and accompanied nature outings;
• festive events;
• the Great Rivers of the World Biennial festival;
• excursions on the Loire, aboard a pleasure boat or on foot along the banks, from April to October.

Facilities

Loire Odyssée boasts a large meeting/seminar room (seating 80 people in conference layout) equipped with projection and sound systems, and two meeting rooms, one of them equipped with a projection system. 

These facilities, which are used as activity venues, are also available for hire. 

Partnerships

The Loire Odyssée development project, a structuring “loss leader” for the region based on an offer acquainting visitors with the Loire, is the fruit of cooperation and partnership between three of the territory’s key stakeholders: 

• the municipality of Loire-Authion, a new municipality created on 1 January 2016 and made up of seven delegated municipalities
• the Maison de Loire en Anjou association, based in Saint-Mathurin-sur-Loire, with over 30 years’ experience raising awareness of the Loire’s natural and cultural heritage.
• Loire-Authion Tourist Office, the municipality’s sword arm when it comes to promoting and making the utmost of its tourism offer and network of associated socio-professionals.

The municipality has invested close to €1.6 million, with support from the Pays de la Loire Region (€1.1 million) and the Département of Maine-et-Loire (€160,000), to make the facility the tourist gateway to Destination Loire Nature. 

The project also involves institutional partners: Anjou Tourisme, Loire Anjou Touraine Regional Nature Park, and Mission Val de Loire.