Loire Valley

Discover a region famous for its fairy-tale castles, lovely wines and natural beauty. The Chateaux de la Loire are rich in the renaissance architecture that was in vogue during the period that saw the castles renovated and expanded.

The Renaissance also influenced the beautiful courtly gardens that enrich the area. As everywhere in Europe, the period brought with it new and artistic ideas in architecture. The history, grandeur and beauty of these architectural wonders is beyond anything one can imagine. The region is rich in history and culture: Renaissance writer Rabelais was born here; Joan of Arc led French troops to victory in the Hundred Years’ War in the Loire; and, as the Cradle of the French Language, its residents speak the purest French. Known as "the garden of France", this region is famous for its mild climate, its castles, and its vineyards. As the historic French heartland, the region is rich in history and culture.

The countryside is gentle, with undulating hills and quietly flowing rivers - an ideal region for those who just want to be lazy, or to enjoy. Also, the Loire Valley is France's most diverse wine region, producing exemplary wines in every style. Popularity of Loire Valley wines with sommeliers and wine writers has been growing steadily for the last ten years because for all their variety, and taste. Although often shadowed by France's more prestigious regions – most obviously Bordeaux – the Loire Valley has played a vital role in French wine history for many centuries.

LOIRE VALLEY’S CASTLES

Full day in the Loire Valley including Chambord, Amboise and Chenonceau Châteaux. First, go to visit the Château de Chambord, the largest Château in the Loire Valley. Continue with a visit of Amboise where Leonardo da Vinci is buried. Finish your day with a visit of the Château de Chenonceau.

7:00 am: Be met in the lobby of your Hotel in Paris.

   Drive towards the Loire Valley. Your day begins with a visit of the Château de Chambord, the largest and most dramatic châteaux in the Loire valley. Take the twin spiralling staircases, which are intertwined, double-helix style. People ascending do not encounter those descending. It stands in a vast park enclosed by a 20-mile wall. Leonardo da Vinci may have helped with the plans for this fabulous edifice of more than 400 rooms.

   Continue with a visit of Amboise to visit the castle where Leonardo Da Vinci is buried. Amboise was the first royal castle built in the Loire Valley during the Renaissance. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, it was located in a strategic position looking over one of the few bridges which allowed people to cross the Loire River. For lunch, we suggest a local restaurant of this beautiful region.

   Continue towards Chenonceau. Built on the banks of the Cher River, with the unique beauty of its renaissance architecture reflected by the water, the Château de Chenonceau is the masterpiece of the Loire Valley. It is known as “The Castle of Six Ladies” because of the succession of powerful French noblewomen of Chenonceau who inhabited it. King Henri II offered the chateau as a gift to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who became fervently attached to the château and the view over the river.

7:00 pm: Return to your hotel .