La Bradière

La Bradière sits on the heights of Savennières, a wine-growing village in Maine-et-Loire with about 1,350 inhabitants, on the north bank of the Loire. The centre of Angers is a quarter of an hour away by car, the river 5 km and the neighbouring village of Béhuard only a few minutes. The area is part of the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The site is rated 2 stars and has 30 pitches of 100 to 150 m², shaded, semi-shaded or sunny, bounded by hedges, fruit trees and shrubs. Each has electricity and a hardstanding area to park the vehicle. Tents, caravans, vans and motorhomes are accepted. A few 40 m² mobile homes complete the offer, with no pretension of being a holiday village: the atmosphere is that of a human-scale family campsite, with ecological management of the site.

As for opening, the site welcomes campers from 1 January to 31 December. The pitches and the motorhome welcome therefore operate in the depths of winter, with reception open from 9am to 12pm and from 2pm to 7pm. The mobile homes are heated for the shoulder season, but they are not let during winter: off-season, it is the bare pitch that can be booked.

The campsite also hires out a 150 m² hall seating 40 people, useful for a group or a seminar staying on site.

Terra Botanica 15 minutes away during the All Saints' holidays, troglodyte Christmas market of Doué-en-Anjou 18 km away, tastings at the winemakers of Savennières.

The facilities are deliberately simple. One washroom block serves the site, with a shower, a washbasin and a toilet accessible to people with reduced mobility. A coin-operated washing machine and tumble dryer are available, at 4 € per machine, and a waste disposal point serves the motorhomes, which are welcomed all year round on a hardstanding area.

The campsite provides electrical adapters, barbecues, a hairdryer, a table and an iron, as well as books, board games and a game of palets. The small emergency shop mainly offers local drinks: craft beers from the La Florencière brewery in Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné, and lemonade from the La Sterne brewery in Rochefort-sur-Loire. For the mobile homes, you can hire sheets (10 €) and towels (5 €) or take a cleaning package.

There is no wifi on the pitches: a connection is offered at reception on request, and the campers’ room stays open during reception hours. The campsite claims a low-tech approach that invites guests to disconnect, with a mandala-shaped garden. A play area awaits children. There is no pool or catering on site; a list of nearby places to eat is on the campsite’s website.

La Bradière’s main asset is its position between vineyards and river. La Loire à Vélo passes nearby, and several routes link the campsite to the banks of the Loire from La Pointe, La Possonnière, Savennières, Épiré and Bouchemaine. You can also go canoeing on the Maine or the Louet, or walk in Savennières and Béhuard, two towns of character five minutes away.

The Savennières appellation vineyard, which includes the Coulée de Serrant and Roche-aux-Moines, offers plenty of tastings at the winemakers. For heritage, the campsite mentions the church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Romain, the church of Notre-Dame de Béhuard, the Sainte-Guénette fountain, the former Baumette convent and the château de Serrant. The Terra Botanica park is 15 minutes away by car.

For families off-season, the campsite recommends making the most of the All Saints’ holidays to visit Terra Botanica, and the troglodyte Christmas market of Doué-en-Anjou takes place 18 km away. On site there is a pétanque court, a play area and shared barbecues, and the website offers a calendar of cultural outings in the area.