The Untameable Loire

Capricious or peaceful, the last wild river in Europe irrigates the heart of Loiret with its curves. When its water levels drop in summer, new features rise out of its bed at different points: small, wooded islands that the winter floods will engulf again on their return. The hospitable riversides and sand banks provide homes for a large number of bird species, such as bitterns, marsh warblers, large cormorants, black-headed gulls and even wagtails, as well as small rodents such as beavers and coypu. White willows, black poplars and maples line the river and watch peacefully over the ecological riches of this unique aquatic environment.