Travel guide – loire valley
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Overview
Renowned for its fine wine, sumptuous châteaux and Renaissance intrigue, the valley of the Loire is rich in both history and architecture. Like the River Loire, this vast region runs through the heart of French life. Its sophisticated cities, luxuriant landscape and magnificent food and wine add up to a bourgeois paradise.
Historic towns and magnificent chateaux line the valley, which, until Henri IV moved his court to Paris, was for a long period the home of Royalty and the intellectual capital of France. The towns of Tours and Angers, both on the river, act as good bases from which to explore the area and its many delights. Although there are train and bus services to most towns they are limiting for tourists and it is best to hire your own transport to fully explore the region. Consider renting a bike; this is wonderful and easy cycling country.
On the banks of the Loire, 20 miles (32km) east of Tours, is the Renaissance town of Amboise. Historic and beautiful it attracts tourists by the busload but this doesn’t detract from its charm. It has been the favourite residence of Leonardo de Vinci, Charles VIII and Mick Jagger, who owns a nearby château. Charles VIII’s château dominates the town and is an impressive fusion of Renaissance and Gothic styles that is built on a rocky spur separating the valleys of the Loire and the Amasse. The original 15th-century entrance opens onto a terrace with a panoramic view of the river. The castle fell into decline after the revolution and less than half of the original structure still stands. However many grandly furnished rooms remain, including the Kings' apartments, which are open to visitors. Leonardo da Vinci was invited here by François I to encourage the French Renaissance. He made his home at the Clos-Lucé, which is now a museum to his work with 40 models based on his drawings on display - including flying machines and a wooden tank. To the east of Amboise are some children's museums, including the Mini-Châteaux, a two-hectare (five-acre) park with models of the great Loire château. An excellent aquarium is also situated nearby.
Angers straddles the Maine River towards the west of the Loire Valley and is a popular base from which to explore the local sites and the surrounding châteaux country. It is a busy regional centre and university city with an air of sophistication. Like Tours, Angers was badly damaged during World War II. Much of it, however, has been lovingly restored and it remains a pleasant, amiable town with a lively atmosphere. Top sights include the intriguing museum, Musée Jean Lurçat, which is known for its famous tapestry Le Chant du Monde, and the Cathedral with its beautiful 12th-century nave and famous stained-glass windows, also dating from the 12th century. However Angers’ most prominent attraction is the Château d'Angers.
Things to do and see in or around Angers
Chteau d'Angers
A kilometre-long wall studded with 17 circular towers surrounds this vast medieval fortress. Visitors can tour Château d'Angers, including the courtyard, prison, ramparts, windmill tower, 15th-century chapel, and royal apartments. The overriding reason however for coming here is to see the 328ft (100m) Tapestry of the Apocalypse. Woven between 1375 and 1378 for Duke Réné of Anjou, it takes as its text St John's vision of the Apocalypse, as described in the Book of Revelation. Guided tours provide insight into its architecture and fascinating history.
Telephone: (02) 4187 4347 ; Daily 9am to 7pm (June to mid-September); 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 6pm (16 September to 26 March)
Much of the historic ambience of medieval Blois remains preserved in its white-washed houses and narrow cobbled alleys, but modernity has impacted quite severely on this, the noble former seat of the dukes of Orléans. Tourists still flock here, however, to visit the magnificent chateau, now encircled by a traffic-laden highway but none the less spectacular for this infringement. This beautiful castle witnessed the murder of the duc De Guise by Henri III, and is renowned for its awesome 13th century hall. Those into chateaux can make excursions from Blois to some other gems in the nearby countryside, including the well-known Chateau de Chambord.
Things to do and see in or around Blois
Chteau de Chambord
Eleven miles (18km) east of Blois, the vast Château de Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley. It was commissioned by François I, who wanted to outshine the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and the result is a spectacular Renaissance masterpiece with 450 rooms. It was designed by an Italian architect in 1519, but was worked on by French masons. The outside is essentially French medieval – massive round towers with conical tops, and an explosion of chimneys, pinnacles and turrets. The details inside, however, are pure Italian: the Great Staircase (attributed by some to da Vinci), panels of coloured marble, niches decorated with shell-like domes, and freestanding columns. Wandering through, you can get a good feel for the contrasting architectural styles, which have combined to create a very decadent, if at times discordant, whole. The château is surrounded by a 20-mile (32km) wall containing a 5,261-hectare (13,000-acre) deer park.
Telephone: (0)2 5450 5000 ; Daily 9am to 6.15pm (1 April to 30 September); 9am to 5.15pm (1 October to 30 March)
Orléans was badly damaged during World War II and is now a shadow of its former glorious self. Its long history stretches to a time before the Romans but its most famous event was Joan of Arc's deliverance of the city from the English in 1429 that is remembered most fervently with Joan of Arc Day celebrated each year on the 8th of May, when the town makes merry with street parades in medieval style.
Located at the junction of the Loire and the Cher Rivers, Tours is a great base for exploring the valley. The town was badly bombed during the last war and many buildings were replaced with ugly apartment blocks. The town however is surrounded by magnificent châteaux and is a fun place to spend the evenings; the streets and bars are filled with locals and tourists and the huge student population adds to the vibrancy. Within the city the Cathedral is worth a visit. Its flamboyant Gothic façade is flanked by towers dating from the 12th century, inside are some glorious 13th-century stained-glass windows and the handsome 16th-century tomb of Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne's two children. There is also a fine provincial museum, in the Palais des Archevêques, with a number of Old Masters works' including those by Degas, Delacroix, Rembrandt, and Boucher. (Open Wednesday to Monday 9am to 12.45pm and 2pm to 6pm; admission: €4 adults, €2 children).
Things to do and see in or around Tours
Chteau de Chenonceau
Only a few miles outside Tours, on the River Cher, the Château de Chenonceau is probably the most celebrated of the many châteaux in the Loire valley. It was used as a mill in the Middle Ages and bridges the whole width of the river. It was owned by a succession of powerful noblewomen including Henri II’s mistress Diane de Poiters, the Queen Regent Catherine de Medici and Louise de Loraine and is often referred to at the 'Château des Femmes'. Inside visitors can see a wonderful 200ft (61m) gallery, Louis XIV’s sitting room and Francois I’s bedroom.
Telephone: (02) 4723 9007 ; Daily 9am to 7pm (mid-March to mid-September). Closing times vary during other months from 4.30pm to 6pm
Villandry
Five miles (eight km) outside Tours is the tiny village of Villandry and its wonderful château. The château is best known for its gardens that are open between February and November. It is not your standard ornamental garden; between the vine-shaded paths and ornamental box hedges are carrots, cabbages and aubergines carefully arranged in patterns; roses climb gracefully above small herb gardens. Villandry is an easy cycle from Tours and, for those that have worked up an appetite, there are some excellent local restaurants.
Telephone: (0)2 4750 0209 ; Chteau: daily 9am to 6.30pm (July to August); closing times vary from 4.30pm to 6pm during the rest of the year. Gardens: daily 9am to 7.30pm (mid-June to mid-September)
Climate
The south of France has a warm Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. Strong winds, known as la Mistral, can occur in the Cote d'Azur, Provence and in the Rhone valley particularly over the winter and spring. Northern France, including Paris, has a temperate climate similar to southern England with warm summers, cold winters and rainfall throughout the year. The western coast, from the Loire valley to the Pyrenees, is milder and summer days are generally very hot. During the second half of July and August most French take their five-week vacation to the coasts and mountains, and empty cities tend to shut down accordingly.
Health
French hospitals and health facilities are first class. British, and visitors from other EU countries, are entitled to heavily discounted medical treatment and medicines on presentation of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Otherwise doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. Medical insurance is advised. Pharmacies will provide some first aid, but charge for it. There have been increased reports of hantavirus (caused by rodents) in the Ardennes, Aisne and Jura regions. Rabies also occurs occasionally. In February 2006, France confirmed its first cases of bird flu; all affected birds have been culled and precautionary measures taken. The risk is low for travellers, but close contact with domestic, wild and caged birds should be avoided, and all poultry and egg dishes well cooked.
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