Loire River facts for kids

The Loire river in Orléans

Loire river at Saint-Nazaire

The Loire River is the longest river in France. It is 1,013 km long. It originates in the Massif Central. Its mouth is near Nantes by the Atlantic Ocean. The Loire gives its name to 6 French departments. For years, the Loire was very important for France's commerce. When the railway developed in the 19th century, it put an end to its importance.

Tributaries

The Loire's tributaries include the following rivers, in order going upstream:

Maine (near Angers)
Mayenne (near Angers)
Ernée (in Saint-Jean-sur-Mayenne)
Sarthe (near Angers)
Loir (north of Angers)
Braye (in Pont-de-Braye)
Aigre (near Cloyes-sur-le-Loir)
Yerre (near Cloyes-sur-le-Loir)
Conie (near Châteaudun)
Ozanne (in Bonneval)
Huisne (in Le Mans)
Thouet (near Saumur)
Dive (near Saint-Just-sur-Dive)
Losse (near Montreuil-Bellay)
Argenton (near Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay)
Thouaret (near Taizé)
Cébron (near Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet)
Palais (near Parthenay)
Viette (near Parthenay)
Vienne (in Candes-Saint-Martin)
Creuse (north of Châtellerault)
Gartempe (in La Roche-Posay)
Clain (in Châtellerault)
Indre (east of Candes-Saint-Martin)
Cher (in Villandry)
Sauldre (in Selles-sur-Cher)
Arnon (near Vierzon)
Yèvre (in Vierzon)
Auron (in Bourges)
Beuvron (in Chaumont-sur-Loire)
Loiret (in Orléans)
Allier (near Nevers)
Sioule (near Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule)
Dore (near Puy-Guillaume)
Allagnon (near Jumeaux)
Ance (in Monistrol-d'Allier)
Nièvre (in Nevers)
Acolin (near Decize)
Aron (in Decize)
Besbre (near Dompierre-sur-Besbre)
Arroux (in Digoin)
Furan (in Andrézieux-Bouthéon)

Images for kids

The Loire as it flows through Blois.
The Vikings invading in 879
An 1840 poster advertising excursions on the river
Source
The river port of Roanne
Confluence of the Allier and the Loire
Map of the Loire basin showing the major tributaries
The Loire at Decize
The Loire spanned at Nantes
Greengage blossom
European eel (Anguilla anguilla)
Yellow-bellied toad
Mediterranean gull
Loire Vivante WWF protests in 1989 against the proposed Serre de la Fare dam
A pristine gorge of the Loire
Château d'Azay-le-Rideau.]] [[Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
Vineyard in the Loire Valley
Sauvignon blanc is the principal grape of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, found in the Loire Valley.
Amboise on the banks of the Loire River
Chateau de Langeais
Château de Blois interior façades in Gothic, Renaissance and Classic styles (from right to left).
Château de Valençay.
Scène of the Loire, by J. M. W. Turner.
La source de la Loire, by Gustave Courbet.
Portrait of the Loire, by Jean-Max Albert, 1988.
La Loire at Beaugency, by Jacques Villon, 1959.
Chaumont-sur-Loire, by Raoul Dufy, 1937