Description
of the Loire Valley
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Renowned
for its spectacular châteaux, the vestiges
of royal days gone by, the Loire Valley is
rich in both history and architecture. This
vast region runs through the heart of French
life, just as the Loire river runs through
its valley, with sophisticated cities, flourishing
landscape, and magnificent food and wine. |
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Orleans
was France's intellectual capital in the 13th
century, attracting artists and poets to the
royal court. But the medieval court never
stayed in one place for very long, which led
to the building of magnificent châteaux
all along the Loire. Due to its central location,
eclectic culture, and excellent cuisine, Tours
is the natural visitor's capital. Angers follows
closely, but more authentic are the historic
towns of Amboise, Blois, Beaugency, and Saumur,
brilliantly strung along the river like the
queen’s royal jewels. Chambord and Chenonceau
remain the two greatest and most prestigious
Renaissance châteaux ever built. They
are glorious symbols of imperial rule, dazzling
with their ornamental gardens. This is the
classic Loire Valley, a château trail
that embraces the Renaissance gardens of Villandry
and the fairytale turrets of Azay-le-Rideau. |
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Blessed
with a temperate climate and easy access to
the heart of France and Europe, the Loire
valley in the last decade has gone beyond
its touristic traditions to become a favored
European site for retirees to buy homes and
corporations to establish headquarters. Only
a morning’s trip by train from London,
Strasbourg, Brussels, or Amsterdam, Pontlevoy
and its region are today a crossroads to new
Europe. Where warring aristocrats once erected
grand castles to protect their subjects from
the uncertainties of life in the heart of
an unstable Europe, today the Loire’s
central location brings with it only stunning
advantages.
The
lush Loire valley is, in a word, majestic. |
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