Discover Loire Valley
Nicknamed the "garden of France", Centre-Val de Loire holds one of the country's highest concentrations of architectural heritage. Along the Loire Valley, UNESCO-listed over 280 km from Sully-sur-Loire to Chalonnes-sur-Loire, more than 80 châteaux line the route. The unmissable ones: Chambord, palace of King Francis I with its famous double-helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci; Chenonceau, the "ladies' château" spanning the Cher; Cheverny, sumptuously furnished; Amboise, royal balcony over the river; Villandry and its restored Renaissance gardens; Azay-le-Rideau, a perfect water mirror. Beyond the châteaux, Bourges with its Saint-Étienne cathedral (UNESCO), Chartres with its stained-glass-and-cathedral ensemble (UNESCO), Tours and its old streets, and the Orléans cathedral complete an exceptional heritage. The region is also a great wine area: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé from sauvignon, Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny from cabernet franc, Vouvray and Montlouis from chenin. On the table, rillettes de Tours, pike-perch with beurre blanc, the Tatin tart (Lamotte-Beuvron) and AOP goat cheeses (Sainte-Maure de Touraine, Selles-sur-Cher, Pouligny-Saint-Pierre, Valençay) make up a real gastronomic journey. The Loire à Vélo, an 800 km signposted cycle route between Cuffy and Saint-Brevin, crosses the region east-west and links the châteaux at a peaceful pace. Ideal season: April to October.
