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Aerial view of the Château de Chambord

Loire Valley

The 'Garden of France' begins where Brittany ends, with the greatest collection of châteaux in the world.

Photo: Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • RegionsPays de la Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
  • Nantes to Angers~1 h
  • UNESCOSince 2000
  • Visit2–4 days

The central Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lined with royal castles, troglodyte villages and vineyards. From Nantes, Angers is under an hour, and the big châteaux around Tours and Blois are 2 to 3 hours by car.

Châteaux to see

  • Chambord: the largest of all, with its famous double-helix staircase and a forest park.
  • Chenonceau: the graceful "ladies' château" spanning the River Cher.
  • Amboise: royal château above the river, and Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci's last home.
  • Villandry: celebrated for its formal Renaissance gardens.
  • Angers: a mighty fortress holding the medieval Apocalypse Tapestry, the closest major château to Brittany.
Château de Chenonceau over the River Cher
Château de Chenonceau.

Wine and cycling

Taste Muscadet near Nantes, Savennières and Saumur in Anjou, and Vouvray and Chinon in Touraine. The Loire à Vélo cycle route follows the river for hundreds of kilometres and is mostly flat and traffic-free.

Route ideas

See our Brittany and Loire road trip for a 10-day loop from Paris through the Loire to Nantes and the Breton coast.

Stay in Loire Valley

Compare prices and free-cancellation rates.

See hotels

Header photo: Photo: Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0

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