The
Loire's 10
Best Travel Destinations (by
Rough Guides)
10.
Chenonceau
The
Château de Chenonceau is a
French château near the small village of
Chenonceaux, in the Indre-et-Loire département of the
Loire Valley in
France. The château was built on the site of an old mill on the
River Cher, sometime before its first mention in writing in the
11th century. It was designed by the
French Renaissance architect
Philibert de l'Orme.
9. Loire a Velo
A brand new network of cycle-paths and cycle routes on minor roads now makes cycling along the
River Loire even more enjoyable -- and safer -- than it was before.
8.
Chartres cathedral
Chartres Cathedral is a medieval
Roman Rite Catholic cathedral located in
Chartres, about 80 kilometres southwest of
Paris. It is considered one of the finest examples of
French Gothic architecture and is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The current cathedral, mostly constructed between
1194 and 1250, is the last of at least five which have occupied the site since the town became a bishopric in the
4th century.
7.
Food markets
Every town has its lively, traditional weekly market where you can stock up on picnic provisions and local specialities.
6. Canoe and kayak trips
The best way to get to know the River Loire is by boat, and you can rent canoes and kayaks all over the region.
5.
Montsoreau and Candes-St-Martin
Candes-Saint-Martin is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It overlooks the confluence of the
Vienne and Loire rivers from a steep hill on the left bank of the Loire, and marks the boundary between the modern departments of Indre-et-Loire to the east, and Maine-et-Loire to the
West.
4.
Villandry gardens
The lands where an ancient fortress once stood were known as
Colombier until the
17th century.
Acquired in the early
16th century by
Jean Le
Breton, France's Controller-General for War under
King Francis I, a new château was constructed around the original
14th-century keep where
King Philip II of France once met
Richard I of England to discuss
peace. It is also known for its beautiful gardens.
3. Au
Cabernet d'Anjou
This former Loire mariners' bar enjoys a sun-flooded terrace overlooking one of the prettiest stretches of the river.
2.
Chateaudun
Looming over the river on its clifftop height, little-visited Chateaudun is an eerily
Gothic chateau.
Châteaudun is located about 45 km northwest of
Orléans, and about 50 km south-southwest of Chartres, on the river Loir, a tributary of the
Sarthe.
1.
Chateau de Blois
The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France, in the center of the city of
Blois. The residence of several
French kings, it is also the place where
Joan of Arc went in 1429 to be blessed by the
Archbishop of Reims before departing with her army to drive the
English from Orléans.
Built in the middle of the town that it effectively controlled, the château of Blois comprises several buildings constructed from the
13th to the 17th century around the main courtyard.
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- published: 28 May 2014
- views: 230