There are so many places
to visit in the
Centre - Val de Loire
region that once you have
sampled the
experience you'll want to return
time and time again. It's the perfect place for your
holiday in
France...and it's more than just
Loire Valley chateaux.
Here the rich landscape offers great
rivers, vibrant cities like
Orleans
and
Tours,
historical medieval
towns
such as
Chinon
and
Loches,
beautiful villages like
Montresor,
natural parks in La Brenne and Anjou,
some of the best
wines
of France and a host of local
delicacy's. There is a plethora of
festivals throughout the year to give
you a taste of the region's unique
culture and heritage.
The area also has been
touched by many historical
figures from Richard the
Lionheart to Joan of Arc and
Leonardo de Vinci. It has
also inspired poets and
novelists for centuries,
with some of its native
sons, such as Rabelais and
Balzac, using the area as a
setting their works.
The
Loire River
(the longest in France) is the thread
that binds this area together but its
tributaries of the Cher, the Vienne, the
Indre and other rivers in the region
such as the
Creuse
and the Claise give an added dimension
to the region by providing attractive
valleys and landscapes to stimulate
interest. You are in an area where you
can be on a plateau with what seems like
endless horizons, surrounded by
sunflowers, in a deep valley, in dense
forest, by a mighty river and always
where your eye will be drawn to
something of interest. You can be happy
just driving
the wonderful roads (where a lot of
French taxpayers money must go!)
stopping at any one of hundreds of
pretty
towns and villages
that the region has to offer.
Check out our vacation rental
By sharing our knowledge of the
Loire
valley we will help you get the most out
of your visit to what is popularly
referred to as 'the garden of France'.
We do of course include a
list
of the major chateau of the region, how
could we not, including the gems that
are
Chenonceau,
Chambord,
Azay-le-Rideau,
Blois
and
Villandry,
plus the cities towns and villages of
greatest interest - the region has 8 of
the 'Les
Beaux Villages de France'
- the most beautiful villages in France
within its boundaries.
Click below to see our current tweets
Where exactly is the Val
de Loire?
What region of France is
the Loire Valley in?
The term 'loire
valley' if used correctly
could refer to an area of over 1000km, as
this is the length of the
Loire river
from its source in the springs on the side
of Mont Gerbier de Jonc in the southern
Cevennes hills within the department of the
Ardeche to its destination on the Atlantic
coast at Nantes. This site concentrates on
the stretch of the river as shown on the map
below plus the additional departments (think
counties or states) of Eure-et-Loir, Cher
and Indre within the
Centre/Val de Loire
region.
The department ofDepartment of Inre-et-Loire,France
Indre et Loire
was the former province of Touraine and the
area is still referred to, using this
historical name, for marketing purposes
through the local tourist boards. We have
also included the department of
Maine-et -Loire
(Anjou)
in Pays de Loire as it forms part of the
UNESCO
world heritage
site.
How to get to the Loire Valley?
As one of the most visited areas of
France, the Loire Valley is easily
accessible from
Paris
and indeed anywhere in Europe via the
countries excellent road and rail
networks plus it has its own
airport inTours
which connects with the UK and Ireland,
read more...
Best place to stay in Centre-Val de
Loire?
You are really spoilt for choice here as
all of the departments of the
Centre-Val-de-Loire region and
Maine-et-Loire in the Pays de Loire
region have something unique to offer.
We think however a 'central' location is
best,
read more...
Need help with your Itinerary ?
read more...
Guide de Voyage Vallée
de la Loire France.
Valle della Loira
Francia guida turistica.
Pays de la Loire
Frankreich Reiseführer.
Aanbiedingen Loire-vallei
Frankrijk.
Loire Valley Francia
guía de viaje.
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