Loire Valley
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The Loire Valley is a little slice of 'fairytale'
France - a landscape dotted with Renaissance chateaux,
vineyards, and picturesque villages. The Loire
River winds its way through this land of plenty -
where fine food, delicious wine, and historic wonders
combine to make this a great introduction to rural
France.
It is for the chateaux that the Loire Valley is most
famed. These royal palaces, aristocratic follies,
and echoes of pre-Revolutionary France are masterpieces
of Renaissance architecture.
At Chenonceaux, the chateau stretches elegantly
across the river Cher. Framed by formal gardens and
with its own wine label, Chenonceaux is justly popular.
The largest chateaux is Chambord - seat of
the French Kings during their frequent holiday excursions
from Versailles. This huge palace bristles with towers,
chimneys, and other architectural flourishes, while
the ingenious 'double staircase' will provide plenty
of amusement. A popular light show in the evenings
uses the huge walls of the chateaux as a backdrop.
The Sancerre and Touraine regions of the Loire are
famed for their excellent wines, and wine-lovers
will get some great bargains direct from the cellar
door. Various wineries have tours of their cellars
- many cut deep into the soft hillsides of the region
- and this is a 'must do' of any trip to this area
of France.
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The major towns of the Loire Valley - Angers,
Tours, and Orleans - make excellent bases for
exploration and are worth a couple of days each in
their own right. As with the smaller towns and villages
of central France, the winding streets and medieval
architecture remains largely intact, and their restaurants
and cafes make excellent spots to relax at the end
of the day.
Getting There
The Loire Valley can be easily reached from Paris,
which is only one hour away by train. Visit Eurostar
and the French rail network SNCF
for details.
Even quicker is a short one hour hop from London Stansted
on budget airline Buzz,
which lands at the small airport of Tours.
More Information
Visit France
Tourism, French
Connections, Logis
de France, or Chateaux
Hotels for those who want to 'push the boat out'.
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