Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire. Hotel de Ville in Tours. This historic city is a pleasure to discover by taking a leisurely stroll. Accommodation: Where to Stay in Tours. Tours Map - Attractions Historical. Built in the 13th century as a fortress, this vast citadel is enclosed by stout defensive walls, with 17 round towers.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, court life flourished here under the Dukes of Anjou, patrons of the arts. One of the fun things to do while visiting the castle is to take a walk along the ramparts, which afford panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Not to be missed are the medieval stained-glass windows, in particular the " Glorification de la Vierge " window.
A 15th-century vaulted hall and a 17th-century refectory building are also used to display some of the museum's collection. For families with kids, it's well worth taking the minute drive outside of Angers' city center to visit the Terra Botanica.
This unique amusement park is found within extraordinary gardens where thousands of plant species flourish. All the rides and exhibits at the park feature a botanical theme. Accommodation: Where to Stay in Angers. Angers Map - Attractions Historical. With its ruined castle looming from above on a steep ridge of a hill, the town of Chinon has a romantic ambience. The Forteresse Royale de Chinon dates back to the 10th century and is a masterpiece of medieval architecture. The old town lies between the fortress and the Vienne River.
The Rue Voltaire , with its 15th- and 16th-century houses, and the 12th-century Church of Saint-Maurice are particularly worth seeing. Accommodation: Where to Stay in Chinon. Le Mans. This gem of an old town covers 20 hectares, filled with cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and Renaissance mansions. This museum is dedicated to regional history and culture. A highlight of the collection is the assortment of 19th-century landscape paintings.
This museum presents the story of the Le Mans automobile race and exhibits Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, and other race cars, including actual winning vehicles. Accommodation: Where to Stay in Le Mans.
Halfway between Angers and Tours, the medieval town of Saumur is at the heart of the historic Anjou region where the pastoral landscape is dotted with woodlands, vine-covered hills, flower fields, and small farms. Also not to be missed is the castle's gardens and the outdoor terrace overlooking the Loire Valley landscape. Those interested in French gastronomy can discover an important culinary ingredient that's cultivated in the area around Saumur: " Champignons de Paris " known as "button mushrooms".
The prized culinary ingredient is destined for use in Coq au Vin chicken in wine sauce , Boeuf Bourguignon Beef Burgundy , traditional quiches, and other recipes. Within the museum's chilly caves are over species of wild mushrooms along with educational displays about how mushrooms grow.
Every year, the museum harvests 10 tons of mushrooms, including oyster, shiitake, and button mushrooms. Accommodation: Where to Stay in Saumur. The austere building, with its meters of ramparts and 13 defense towers, was transformed into a luxurious palace.
The castle grounds include verdant gardens , filled with shady lime trees and fragrant roses. The formal Ornamental Garden was created in the 16th century. Orderly rows of manicured shrubbery and tidy flower beds distinguish the landscaping. The grounds also include a Kitchen Garden , with vegetables laid out in decorative geometric forms, and an Herb Garden with 30 varieties of culinary and medicinal herbs, planted in circular beds to symbolize eternity.
Other highlights include a maze and the view of the village of Villandry and its Romanesque church in the distance.
During these special nighttime openings, visitors can take a magical stroll through the gardens while enjoying entertainment and fireworks. Within the walls is a captivating medieval world of winding cobblestone streets, quiet pedestrian lanes, and ancient Tuffeau stone buildings.
Accommodation: Where to Stay in Loches. It has rooms and 77 staircases, plus enormous grounds. Saumur Not satisfied with just having a chateau, Saumur has the added prestige of being both a centre for delicious sparkling wine production, and for Cadre Noire, a prestigious military riding academy. Tours Approached from the other side of the river, Tours is a splendid sight, its two cathedrals standing tall above a city full of overhanging medieval buildings.
If you prefer Chenin Blanc to Chateaux, you might want to ask for a map of the wine routes. Vouvray, just outside Tours, makes a sparkling wine, whilst Chinon concentrates on red.
Our top Loire Valley Holiday. Tailor made: This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements. See all our Loire Valley Holidays. Travel Team. If you'd like to chat about Loire Valley or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
More about Loire Valley. Best time to go to the Loire Valley. The Loire Valley has a continental climate but the river and the Atlantic breeze help stop it becoming horribly hot. Clinging to the riverbanks, the Chateau de Chambord and its neighbours great and small tell the fabulous story of this artistic effervescence — also expressed by gardens such as those at Chaumont-sur-Loire , which is both a chateau and the landscape laboratory of the future.
To visit the Loire Valley is to explore a unique heritage: that of its chateaux! With its mass of turrets and chimneys, the Chateau de Chambord — commissioned by Francis I and conceived by Leonardo da Vinci — is perhaps the most iconic. To admire its magnificence you need to take your time: 60 of the rooms are open to visitors. In the grounds, you can even experience the inventions of this visionary engineer by walking on a paddle steamer or crossing a swing bridge!
But did you know? Not all the chateaux of the Loire are built on the Loire itself. And the photogenic Chateau de Chenonceau sees its gallery in the waters of the Cher.
And the gardens restore the spirit of an era during which refinement was also expressed in the landscape. Major programmes. For the Press. Help preserve sites now! Join the , Members. Search Advanced. By Properties. Cultural Criteria: i ii iii iv v vi Natural Criteria: vii viii ix x. Category Cultural Natural Mixed.
All With videos With photo gallery. Country Region Year Name of the property. Without With. Integrity The historical trajectory of the Loire Valley is clearly visible in the current landscape. Authenticity The Loire Valley conserves a high degree of authenticity of the ensemble, and notably the principal urban centres and monuments through their uses and materials, thanks to numerous conservation works.
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