Featured property

The Old Walnut Mill  Delightful, spacious 2 bedroom  19th Century Loire Valley house for rent in the peaceful village of Barrou in the department of Indre et Loire,France. The village’s location halfway between the regional capitals of Tours and Poitiers makes it an ideal base to explore the Loire Valley and Vienne. 

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Loches is a very pleasant riverside town in the department of Indre-et-Loire, southeast of Tours, on the left bank of the Indre River. It has a medieval complex which includes a dungeon, a royal residence and a collegiate church. Your first impression will be of a town steeped in history yet having a freshness that belies its age.

Its chateau and dungeon are easily accessible and well worth a visit - learn of the Richard the Lionheart connection.

The ‘Petit’ train takes tourists round the town several times a day, allowing them to take in the many monuments and interesting facts of  Loches. The town is renowned for its tourist attractions... an outdoor summer opera festival, classical, jazz and rock concerts, 'son et lumiere' performances and medieval nocturnal markets.

The town has many fine bistros and restaurants. Gourmet cafe terraces,  shops of all kinds, a small well stocked supermarket, a post office, a pharmacy and bank are all at hand.

It also has a very popular biweekly fresh produce market (sat & wed).

 

There is a beautiful park on the other side of the river which looks up to the chateau and you should seek it out for its bandstand and floral displays as they make for great  photo opportunities.

The river Indre runs through the town – its twisting current making it challenging for anglers who like to fish along the banks, right in the heart of town. It also gives the town additional character  and appeal.

Within easy walking distance there are 2 museums, municipal tennis courts and outdoor /indoor swimming pools which have breathtaking views over the chateau and medieval city.

The Caravaggio controversy:

Two paintings discovered discarded in a church organ loft in 2006, in the town, were identified on an inventory as original Caravaggio's and reputed to be worth up to £50 million each !

Although initially authenticated as originals various  experts have since doubted the pictures are by him. This has not stopped Loches promoting itself as a 'Caravaggio town' and they can be viewed where they were discovered at the church of Saint-Antoine during 2010.

Is the Renaissance rascal overtaking Michelangelo in the popularity stakes? Check out article here... http://www.nytimes.com/

The town is 'twinned' with Wermelskirchen (Germany) and Saint-Andrews (Scotland).

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