Holiday Villas Loire & Holiday Chateaux Loire

Tourist offices and related websites

Loire-Atlantique | Mayenne | Sarthe | Eure-et-Loir | Maine-et-Loire | Indre-et-Loire | Loir-et-Cher | Loiret | Indre | Cher

Loire-Atlantique

The seaside département of the Loire-Atlantique, amongst the most popular holiday destinations for the French themselves, has mild winters and temperate summers. This is rich farmland, with an abundance of small farmers, herds of dairy cows, vegetable gardens and vineyards, bordered by almost fifty miles of delightful coastline.

The capital of the Loire-Atlantique, Nantes, is historically part of Brittany, bargained away in a royal marriage of the 15th century. Its moated castle of that vintage, much restored, was the home of the dukes of Brittany; a little lopsided, you might think, due to the loss of a tower in 1800 when an imprudently located gunpowder store caught fire and blew it to smithereens. The Cathédrale St-Pierre-et-St-Paul is noted for its sculpted Gothic portals and the grand Renaissance tomb of Francois II. The best of Nantes’ medieval buildings can be found in Place du Change and Place St-Croix, sandwiched between bustling bars and chic restaurants. Younger children will appreciate the duck ponds and playgrounds of the Jardin des Plantes, a 19th century garden with lovely fountains. 

The Loire-Atlantique has almost fifty miles of delightful coastline, ranging from isolated coves to ports like Saint-Nazaire for ocean lines. One such liner, the Escal’Atlantic, has been turned into a floating museum in the port, recording the halcyon days of trans-Atlantic crossings, while Espadon is the only fleet submarine in France open to visitors. Surprisingly, perhaps, Saint-Nazaire also has several long sandy beaches, one of which acquired enduring fame as the location for Jacques Tati’s most famous film, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday.

Le-Croisic is both a popular seaside resort and a lively fishing port: try the local speciality of bar en croûte de sel, bass in sea salt. From La-Turballe, where the sardine is king, visit the islands of Houat, Ponant and especially Belle-Isle, fortified by Louis XIV’s finance minister Fouquet in preparation perhaps for a revolt that Fouquet’s arrest nipped in the bud.

Mayenne

At the heart of the Mayenne, a little known département situated between Anjou, Brittany and Normandy, stands the historic town of Laval. It began life in the sixth century as a trading post but reached its commercial zenith in the 11th century when a castle was built to dominate the river crossing marked, then and now, by the Old Bridge. The castle now contains a museum dedicated to ‘naïve’ art, in which Naïves or Primitives overcome the issues of depth and perspective by simply ignoring the rules. Its principal exponent, Henry Rousseau, known as the ‘Douanier’ (Customs officer) because of his original profession, was born in Laval.

The old port of Beucheresse, at the foot of the castle and much of the medieval town, with its half-timbered houses, towers and ramparts still survives; some of the shops in the Grande Rue can trace their origins back for centuries. Le Petit Péricord nearby is an agreeable place to eat.

The magnificent steeple of the basilica Notre-Dame-d’Avesnieres dominates the skyline. Between the basilica and the castle, the beautifully manicured Perrine gardens have a superb view looking towards the north east. Laval’s most famous citizen, Alain Gerbault, is celebrated here with a replica of his boat, ‘Firecrest’. Gerbault bought the boat in Cowes in 1921 and two years later, long before satellite navigation and other modern technological aids, made the first single-handed crossing of the Atlantic from east to west, a prodigious feat at the time.

Due south of Laval, a Roman spa dating back to the 3rd century, was discovered at Entrammes in 1987, hidden beneath a later church. Exceptionally, many of its original decorations have survived.  

A little further to the south west, at Cossé-le-Vivien, is the museum created by the eccentric artist, Robert Tatin. Over a period of twenty years Tatin and his wife turned their house into a magical cement fortress, featuring goddesses, dragons, totems and temples.

Sarthe 

The Loire and its greatest châteaux lie within easy reach from the département of the Sarthe to the north, whose fertile countryside, with an abundance of hedges, is a reminder of how England used to be. Overlooking the River Sarthe itself, Le Mans, synonymous with the deafening 24-hour motor race that takes place each June, at any other time is an agreeably peaceful town with a well preserved old quarter.

Covered in blossom in May, it is rich in medieval and renaissance châteaux as well as many curious churches and picturesque villages. "Rillettes" and "patisserie" are among its local culinary specialities.

 Eure-et-Loire

Chartres, at the centre of the Eure-et-Loire, has beyond question the greatest Gothic cathedral in Europe, the façade blended with elements of the earlier Romanesque church built on the same site. Its stained glass, removed to safety in both World Wars, lights more than 150 exceptional windows depicting everyday life in the 13th century. The very best, and probably the oldest, can be found in the south choir: Notre-Dame-de-la-Belle-Verrière, Our Lady of the Beautiful Window. More stained glass, from an earlier period, is on show at the Benedictine abbey-church of Saint-Pierre, near the River Eure. On the east bank, the Rue de la Foulerie has traces of tanneries, once Chartres’s largest industry, its products all distributed by river. In the centre of Chartres are many exceptionally well preserved medieval houses, especially along the Rue Chantault.

North of Chartres, on the road to Versailles, is the lovely Château de Maintenon, given to Françoise Scarron in 1674 by Louis XIV, when she became Madame de Maintenon. Françoise, probably already a royal mistress, became Louis’s morganic wife in 1683, a marriage that lasted thirty-two years. Le Nôtre designed the gardens but he would have disowned the unfinished acqueduct planned to divert water from the Eure River to Versailles. Louis ran out of money and the upper arches designed to carry the water were never completed. The chéteau is unusual in being fully furnished and the apartments of both Madame de Maintenon and Louis XIV have many of the original fabrics.

Another garden of interest, dating from medieval times, is at Bois Richeux, with exotic plants, herbs and spices. Anet, Chateaudun and Nogent-le-Rotrou have interesting châteaux. The charming red-roofed town of Illiers-Combray has a museum dedicated to the life and work of Marcel Proust, who arrived here to stay with his aunt Léonie for his Easter vacation in the late 19th century. Proust recalls his happy time in the town in one of his most famous works, ‘A la Recherche du Temps Perdu’.

Maine-et-Loire

Straddling the river Maine, Angers was once the power base of the duc d’Anjou, who in 1385 or thereabouts commissioned in Paris the tapestry to end all tapestries. Almost literally, because it depicts scenes from the Book of Revelations and the Apocalypse, some hilarious, perhaps intentionally so, but many hideous and horrifying. The Tenture de l’Apocalypse is more than 15ft high and 120yd in length, consisting of some seventy panels in vivid colours. The tapestry is displayed in a modern gallery in the grounds of Anger’s formidable castle, whose seventeen towering turrets dominate the town. The view from the top is exceptional, and well worth the effort of the climb.
The St-Maurice Cathedral, built predominantly in the 13th century, has an odd combination of Gothic structure and Romanesque façade, but some exceptional stained-glass windows. The Musée David d’Angers, located in a medieval church over which has been imposed a glass roof – somehow it works – is devoted to the creations of perhaps France’s greatest sculptor, born in the city.

Just south of Angers, the Gothic Château de Brissac, the tallest in France, has its own range of spectacular tapestries, and equally spectacular chandeliers made of Venetian glass. Its village of Brissac-Quincé is a delight. Further to the south-east, a place that needs no introduction: Saumur, the centre of one of the finest wine regions in France. Its huge château, built high above the town, supplies an inspiring backdrop against the River Loire. Saumur also has a highly successful riding school, initially set up to train cavalry officers at the end of the 17th century. Tours of the school take place each weekday morning, when up to 400 horses are put through their paces. The Olympic riding stadium stages major international events, including the world championship.

East of Saumur, on an enchanting stretch of the Loire, stands Montsoreau, whose exotic riverside château now houses a museum telling the history of the river itself. On a steep slope running down to the river edge, known as "la Maumenière" hill, a group of 15th century troglodyte caves are preserved in their original state. Since the beginning of this century, they have been used for farming button mushrooms. 

Indre-et-Loire

The vine leaf-shaped département of the Indre-et-Loire, often referred to simply as Touraine, embraces three delightful tributaries of the Loire, the Indre, the Vienne and the Cher. East of Tours lies the Château de Chenonceau, with its marvellous gallery spanning the River Cher, once the home of the royal mistress en titre, Diane de Poitiers. This département has three other châteaux less spectacular in dimension but also famed for their ambience and appearance: Chinon, Amboise and Azay-le-Rideau.

Chinon gives its name to a superb red wine, which together with Bourgeuil and Vouvray is among the best France has to offer. Bourgueil, Tours, Vouvray are also highly recommended.

Just south of Tours is a less busy and very beautiful area, around the most impressive fortress town of Loches.

Loir-et-Cher

Not be missed in the Loir-et-Cher are Blois and Chambord. Blois, a morose, rather threatening structure, has a murderous past: Henry III had the Duke of Guise murdered in its council chamber in 1588. Chambord, a vast fantasy of towers and great chambers, is a prodigious forerunner of Versailles, and among the greatest architectural masterpieces in France. Its extraordinary double-helix staircase, two spirals that never meet, may have been a flash of genius from Leonardo de Vinci.

Loiret

 Even the cynical philosopher Voltaire was taken aback by the splendour of the château at Sully-sur-Loire. Built in the first half of the 14th century, it has an extraordinary roof, constructed of chestnut, abundant turrets and high walkways, and a spectacular view over its moat to a woodland park. Among the best of a superb collection of French châteaux, this was where many a French king set out on a day’s hunting in the dense pine and oak forest of Orlßans.

For many, Orléans proves a disappointment. The reconstructed Joan of Arc’s house, imaginative but historically questionable, is a gesture to those transient visitors expecting some evidence of the great French heroine’s presence in the city, when frankly there is none. It was from Orléans that Joan set off to regain France from her English conquerors. Visit, nonetheless, the atmospheric medieval streets between the Cathedrale Sainte-Croix, not one of France’s most elegant churches, and the River Loire.

The Château de Chamerolles dates back to the height of the Renaissance and the beginning of the 16th century. For a long time in the custody of the city of Paris, it fell into disrepair, but has been superbly restored by the dßpartement of the Loiret. Another monument of importance is St-Benoît-sur-Loire, a Romanesque abbey-church where the Gregorian monks still chant their daily prayers.

Three canals, Briare, Lateral and Loing, offer an attractive alternative way of exploring the lush countryside. In the Loire Valley itself, the arboretum des Barres at Nogent-sur-Vernisson, has an unrivalled collection of exotic plants.

Indre

Argenton-sur-Creuse is a delight: medieval galleries hanging precariously above the river, water mills with turning wheels, and an archeological site as good as any to be seen in France. Argentomagus, in the nearby commune of Saint-Marcel, was a great Gallo-Roman city whose Gallic oppidum has been painstakingly unearthed, together with rich collections of artefacts dating back to the prehistoric era. In Argenton itself, known as the ‘Venice of Berry’, after the old French duchy, there are many fine buildings dating back to the 15th century. See, especially, the Bonne-Dame chapel built on the site of an older fortress, with superb views across the town and the River Creuse, flowing languidly at the foot of green hills and grey, rocky outcrops. In the centre, visit "Le Musée de la chemiserie et de l'élégance masculine", portraying the history of the shirt from medieval times to the present day.

The Indre’s most famous visitors were Amandine Aurore Lucile Dupin, Baroness Dudevant, better known as the French Romantic writer George Sand, and the famous composer, Frederick Chopin, who came to live with her in the Chateau de Nohant for more than a decade. The Château de Valençay also had its share of important guests, as this was where Prince Charles de Talleyrand, who worked his diplomatic smoke and mirrors throughout Europe, held many important meetings on foreign affairs. Valençay has also given its name to an agreeable local wine (try also Reuilly) and to a goat’s cheese, one of three excellent regional varieties, the others being le Pouligny-Saint-Pierre and le Selles-sur-Cher. Châteauroux is a pretty, laid-back town, noted for its floral displays in summer.

For both flora and fauna, however, try the lakeside walk along the edge of the lac d’Eguzon or spend a day in the nature Réserve de Chérine at Saint-Michel-en-Brenne. From its lofty observatory, you can see wild animals, including boar, roaming freely.

Cher

In the Cher, all roads lead from Bourges, in the very centre of France, and once the focal point of French resistance against the English. The future Charles VII, forced to flee from Paris, made Bourges his capital and was crowned at his fine Château de Mehun-sur-Yèvre, just to the north west. His finance minister, Jacques Coeur, diverted royal revenues to make a personal fortune and his spectacularly lavish mansion, practically a palace, stands in Bourges to this day. Perhaps the most important late Gothic building in France, it is trumped here only by the 13th century St-Etienne Cathedral, whose Gothic towers dominate the Bourges skyline. In deference to its temporary royal patron, the interior pillars are painted royal blue and gold.  Bourges has more than 400 fine timber-framed houses dating from the late 15th century, after a disastrous fire had destroyed their forerunners.

North east of Bourges is Sancerre, an ancient walled town set on a hill, with dramatic views towards the Loire across the rugged vineyards that produce some of France’s best known wine, of consistently high quality. The walking tour from the main square, through a honeycomb of old cobbled streets, is a rewarding experience. To buy the Sancerre wine, however, drive a mile or two to Chavignol, where many local producers have excellent vintages for sale at much lower prices. Chavignol is also celebrated for its Crottin de Chavignol, a delicious round goat cheese distributed all over France.

North west of Sancerre, Aubigny-sur-Nere, with another fine array of half-timbered houses, was once a little Scottish kingdom, granted a charter by Charles VII in gratitude for Scottish support against the English. The local museum records this curious symbol of the old Franco-Scottish alliance and its connection with Mary Queen of Scots’ husband, Lord Darnley.

South east of Bourges lies the jewel in the Cher’s crown, Apremont-sur-Allier, beautifully restored in the 19th century, with a genuine medieval fortress whose soldiers spent most of their time collecting tolls from travellers crossing the river. Its English-style floral park is a masterpiece; see especially its Chinese bridge and Turkish pavilion. Quarry stones were shipped from the little harbour for many of the Loire châteaux.

Tourist offices and related websites

www.chinon.com	www.chambordcountry.com
www.cyberindre.org	www.chambord.org
www.loiredeschateaux.com	www.lochesentouraine.com
www.coeur-de-france.com	www.parc-naturel-brenne.fr
www.toursloirevalley.com	www.sarthe.com