Loire Valley
The Loire Valley, one of the most beautiful, famous and most visited parts of France!
Once home of the Kings of France, their wives and their mistresses.
The Loire Valley, where you will find such Royal Châteaux as grandiose as Chambord, started in 1519, the design of which may well have been influenced by Léonard de Vinci who lived his last few years not far away at the Clos Lucé (which is also part of one of our excursions), Chenonceau THE romantic Renaissance built château spanning the river Cher, palace home of
Diane de Poitiers and of Catherine de Medicis.
Amboise where Francis 1 grew up, where Charles VIII died, where Mary Queen of Scots lived out her short French marriage to Francis II, where today you can enjoy a Son et Lumière show .
The Clos Lucé, a cosy manor house, given rent-free by Francis 1 to his great friend Léonard de Vinci until his passing away on the 2nd May 1519.
Blois Château, an architectural archive with at least four different architectural styles: it was here that Henry III, son of Catherine de Médecis, the last of the Valois kings, was murdered in 1588, replaced on the French throne by his Protestant cousin, first Bourbon king, Henry IV.
So much for buildings and history of which there is much, one story as fascinating as the other and I know them all, so come with me and know them too!
The Loire Valley has in fact not just one river but five different rivers flowing through it: La Loire, Le Loir, La Vienne, le Cher and the Indre. It is a most beautiful and scenic area of France enjoying a unique eco-climate of warm summers and temperate winters, an ideal wine growing district .
Come with us and enjoy wine visits and tastings in a selection of vineyards: rich tannic reds in Chinon, sparkling whites and rosés (methode Champenoise) in Saumur, Mesland and Montrichard , famous white wines of Vouvray and Montlouis and further south, up river, you too can discover the delights of the wines of Sancerre, Pouilly, Chablis, Mennetou-Salon etc…
With all this rich and generous land the Loire Valley is also a rich agricultural area. Come and enjoy our great variety of fresh foods: the goats’ cheeses of St Maure de Touraine, the asparagus and strawberries of the Sologne, the fresh lettuces and other salad crops of the Cher river.
So what do we have in the Loire valley for you to enjoy ? : great food, fabulous wines, fantastic weather, tons of history, pretty villages and nice people : no wonder the locals , of which I am pleased to call myself one, enjoy the greatest of ART DE VIVRE !
Come and book our reasonably priced services and we will endeavour to show you some of it in the company of a knowledgeable and friendly driver-guide.
Call now 0033 2 54 70 20 52 or email: office@france-tours.net