Places to Explore In The Loire Valley

Amboise

It is hardly surprising that this hub town is considered a must-see on any Val de Loire itinerary. Crowned by a royal château that’s soaked...

• 1 Restaurants
• 4 Hotels
• 4 Things To Do

Angers

The bustling city of Angers, on the banks of the Maine River just north of the Loire, has a fine Gothic cathedral, a tempting selection...

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• 2 Hotels
• 5 Things To Do

Azay-le-Rideau

A largish town surrounding a sylvan dell on the banks of the River Indre, pleasant Azay-le-Rideau is famed for its white-wall Renaissance pleasure palace, called...

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• 2 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Beaugency

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• 0 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Blois

Perched on a steep hillside overlooking the Loire, the bustling big town of Blois is a convenient base, well served by train and highway. A...

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• 0 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Chambord

The "Versailles" of the 16th century and the largest of the Loire châteaux, the Château de Chambord is the kind of place William Randolph Hearst...

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• 1 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Chateau de Chenonceaux

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Chaumont-sur-Loire

Once belonging to Catherine de' Medici, this dramatic hilltop château combines Gothic fortifications with Renaissance style. After touring the stunning interior, be sure to explore...

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• 1 Hotels
• 2 Things To Do

Chenonceaux

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• 1 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Cheverny

Though not always included on the list of the upper-echelon Loire Valley superstars, the Château de Cheverny is a rare and beautiful example of early-17th-century...

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• 2 Hotels
• 2 Things To Do

Chinon

Chinon—the birthplace of author François Rabelais (1494–1553)—is dominated by a 12th-century castle, perched imposingly above the River Vienne. But its leading photo op is the...

• 1 Restaurants
• 3 Hotels
• 3 Things To Do

Fontevraud-l'Abbaye

A refreshing break from the worldly grandeur of châteaux, the small village of Fontevraud is crowned with the largest abbey in France—a magnificent complex of...

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• 1 Hotels
• 3 Things To Do

Langeais

Sometimes unjustly overlooked, the Château de Langeais—a castle in the true sense of the word—will particularly delight those who dream of knights in shining armor...

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• 0 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Meung-sur-Loire

This tiny, sleepy village's maze of medieval streets and charming half-timbered houses have a literary past. Described by Alexandre Dumas in The Three Musketeers, this...

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• 1 Things To Do

Montlouis-sur-Loire

Montlouis—like Vouvray, its sister town on the north side of the Loire—is noted for white wines, and you can learn all about the vintages produced...

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• 1 Hotels
• 0 Things To Do

Orleans

Surrounded by locales renowned for their beauty, it’s little wonder that Orléans once suffered from an inferiority complex. A century ago ham-fisted urban planners razed...

• 2 Restaurants
• 3 Hotels
• 6 Things To Do

Rochecorbon

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• 0 Things To Do

Sache

A crook in the road, a Gothic church, the centuries-old Auberge du XIIe Siècle, an Alexander Calder stabile (the great American sculptor created a modern...

• 1 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Sancerre

You'll recognize this quaint medieval town, hewn from local white sandstone and set on a hilltop overlooking gentle rolling vineyards, by the wine that bears...

• 2 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 4 Things To Do

Saumur

You'll find putting up with the locals’ legendary snobisme well worth it once you get a gander at Saumur's centre historique, a camera-ready quarter studded...

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• 1 Hotels
• 7 Things To Do

Tours

Home to about 150,000 residents, Tours is the region's largest city and its commercial center. Vacationers concerned only with the quaint may be put off...

• 3 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 7 Things To Do

Usse-Rigny

The Loire Valley is blessed with an abundance of eye-popping châteaux, but the fairest of them all is here. The Château d'Ussé, inspiration for Charles...

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• 1 Things To Do

Villandry

The Château de Villandry is one of the best examples of Renaissance-era garden design in France...

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• 1 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do