51 Best Sights in The Loire Valley, France

This award-winning “historic” garden is just the spot for those who want to enjoy a long pastoral ramble in a place where you have to guess what century you’re in. From the storybook château and the meandering trout stream complete with lily pads (and noisy frogs in springtime) to the long alleys of ancient lindens, wooded paths, and charming formal herb and rose gardens (not to mention the manicured box hedge maze), this is a perfectly poetic introduction to a great French garden. The owners do encourage picnicking, but be sure to bring only what you can take away.

If you arrive in the evening, the sight of the floodlighted 14th-century Château de Saumur will take your breath away. Look familiar? You've probably seen the elegant white edifice in reproductions of the famous Très Riches Heures (Book of Hours) painted for the Duc de Berry in 1416. Inside it's bright and cheerful, with a gorgeous gateway and plentiful potted flowers. Owing to renovation of the castle walls, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Decorative Arts Museum) is now housed on the first floor, and exhibitions from the Musée du Cheval (Equestrian Museum) can be seen in the adjoining abbey; visitors can also access the gardens and panoramic terrace. In July and August, there are 30-minute medieval-style shows that include music, mime, and dance. From the cliffside promenade beyond the parking lot there's a thrilling vista of the castle on its bluff against the river backdrop.

Try some local wines at the stunning, Renaissance-era Château du Petit Thouars, which enjoys an enchanting hilltop setting just off the Vienne River (between Chinon and Fontevraud). The descendents of Aristide du Petit-Thouars, a French naval officer who fought in the American Revolution, have created a small museum illustrating the adventures of their family members that visitors can see after a dégustation of still and sparkling wines from their hillside vineyard. The historic château, alas, is still a private home, only to be enjoyed from the outside.

If you want to see where "the 20th century was born"—as the curators here like to proclaim—head to the Clos Lucé, about 600 yards up Rue Victor-Hugo from the château. Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) spent the last four years of his life in this handsome Renaissance manor, tinkering away at inventions, amusing his patron, King François I, and gazing out over a garden that was planted in the most fashionable Italian manner. The garden was completely restored in 2008 to contain plants and trees found in his sketches, as well as a dozen full-size renderings of machines he designed. The Halle Interactive contains working models of some of Leonardo's extraordinary inventions, all built by IBM engineers using the artist's detailed notebooks (by this time Leonardo had put away his paint box because of arthritis). Mechanisms on display include three-speed gearboxes, a military tank, a clockwork car, and a flying machine complete with designs for parachutes. Originally called Cloux, the property was given to Anne of Brittany by Charles VIII, who built a chapel for her that is still here. Some of the house's furnishings are authentically 16th century—indeed, thanks to the artist's presence, Clos Lucé was one of the first places where the Italian Renaissance made inroads in France: Leonardo's Mona Lisa and Virgin of the Rocks, both of which once graced the walls here, were bought by the king, who then moved them to the Louvre. You can now see these and 15 other da Vinci masterpieces projected in full living color in the on-site immersive museum; it also features 3D re-creations of the master's unrealized plans for palaces and other constructions, video games, and a host of fun educational games for kids.

Winemakers Gilles and Nathalie Tamagnan offer a warm welcome and tastings of their many white, red, and rosé Touraine wines, including a delicious sparkler and the superb Sine Sulfuris made with no added sulfites. Cyclists are welcome, as the domaine is set right on the Route des Châteaux, between Amboise and Chaumon-sur-Loire.

This vast fortress dates to the time of Henry II of England, who died within its 400-yard long walls in 1189; another historic event occurred in 1429, when Joan of Arc recognized the disguised dauphin (later Charles VII) here. Long years of neglect, however, eventually left the fortress little more than a ruin, completely open to the elements. The good news is that sweeping restoration work has returned its majestic rooftop, ramparts, and towers to their former glory. A visitor center now welcomes guests a few steps from the glass elevator that provides direct access from the center of Chinon's Old Town. You can tour the Logis Royal (Royal Chambers), a section of which has been transformed into an interactive museum dedicated to Joan of Arc. For a bird's-eye look at the landscape, climb the Tour Coudray (Coudray Tower), where in 1307 leading members of the crusading Knights Templar were imprisoned before being taken to Paris, tried, and burned at the stake. The Tour de l'Horloge (Clock Tower), whose bell has sounded the hours since 1399, has a view over the ensemble of buildings; while the ramparts offer sensational ones over Chinon, the Vienne Valley, and (toward the back of the castle) the famous Le Clos de l'Echo vineyard. A salon de thé is open on the terrace from May through September.

This dynamic museum is set in Tours's most extravagant example of early Renaissance domestic architecture and one of its most extensively restored historic monuments; the neighborhood was almost completely destroyed by German bombs in 1944—hence the decidedly less romantic architecture all around it. The beautiful creamy white building (worth seeing for the architecture alone) now hosts a changing program of contemporary art exhibitions featuring artists from around the world.

The immense charm of this château lies in its unusually harmonious layering of the centuries, from the 12th-century fortress to the elegant Renaissance château with later 19th-century embellishments, all dramatically reflected in a Gallo-Roman-era reservoir that surrounds the turreted castle. Visitors can explore the Renaissance château’s lovely interiors (the owners live in the medieval building), as well as visit the small exhibition on history and fishing (yes, fishing). Then you can take a rowboat out on the pond and, if so inclined, borrow a fishing rod to enjoy it yourself (catch and release only). The award-winning gardens (spectacular in late May and early June when the roses, iris, and poppies are in bloom) are well worth an hour or more of your time, and you're encouraged to enjoy refreshments in the vine-clad outdoor café or play a fun solve-the-mystery game for kids.

In the center of town and easily accessible on foot or by car, Les Caves Louis de Grenelle offer a fascinating 90-minute tour through the 15th-century quarry tunnels that today serve as aging cellars; a tasting of sparkling and still wines is included.

During the 10-day Siege of Orléans in 1429, 17-year-old Joan of Arc stayed on the site of the Maison de Jeanne d'Arc. This faithful reconstruction of the house she knew contains exhibits about her life and costumes and weapons of her time. Several dioramas modeled by Lucien Harmey recount the main episodes in Joan's saintly saga, from the audience at Chinon to the coronation at Reims, her capture at Compiègne, and her burning at the stake at Rouen.

Just a few steps from city hall and an 18th-century church, this spot offers a unique introduction to the local wines via a tasting machine that dispenses a revolving selection of 12 of the finer local appellations, including six distinctive reds, a color less associated with Sancerre (€2–€16). Downstairs, visitors can get the whole story through a 3D presentation on the soils and climate that give the wines their character, and then follow a friendly bee in the rollicking—literally—six-seat cinema through the whole wine-making process. Afterwards, you can shop in the boutique and enjoy the gardens and panoramic views of Sancerre and its vineyards on the terrace.

Saumur is the heart of one of the finest wine regions in France. To pay a call on some of the vineyards around the city, first stop into the Maison des Vins d'Anjou et de Saumur for the full scoop on hours and directions.

Take the elevator to the top of this five-story building across from the cathedral, then make your way down to see works by such artists as Tintoretto, Velázquez, Watteau, Boucher, Rodin, and Gauguin. The museum's richest collection is its 17th-century French paintings, prints, and drawings, reputedly second only to the Louvre.

Set within the 15th-century Logis Barrault, the Musée des Beaux-Arts has an art collection spanning the 14th to the 21st century, as well as a section depicting the history of Angers through archaeological and artistic works from the Neolithic period to the present. The vast museum complex combines historic architecture with contemporary lighting and signage to optimize the experience.

In what was once the archbishop's palace (built into an ancient Roman wall), this museum features an eclectic selection of furniture, sculpture, and wrought-iron work, plus art by Rubens, Rembrandt, Boucher, Degas, and Calder. A favorite is Fritz the Elephant, stuffed in 1902.

Housed in the cloisters of the 13th-century church of St-Julien, this collection honors the Compagnonnage, a sort of apprenticeship-cum-trade-union system. On display you'll see virtuoso 19th-century works produced by candidates for guild membership, some of them eccentric (an Eiffel Tower made of slate, for instance, and a château constructed of varnished noodles).

Housed in the Hôtel Cabu, a Renaissance mansion restored after World War II, this history and archaeology museum contains works of both "fine" and "popular" art connected with the town's past, including a remarkable collection of pagan bronzes depicting animals and dancers. These were hidden from zealous Christian missionaries in the 4th century and discovered in a sandpit near St-Benoît in 1861. One exhibit is dedicated to the life of Joan of Arc.

Just 3 km (2 miles) south of Amboise on the road to Chenonceaux, the Pagode de Chanteloup is a remarkable sight—a 140-foot, seven-story, Chinese-style lakeside pagoda built for the duke of Choiseul in 1775. Children will enjoy puffing their way to the top for the vertigo-inducing views, but some adults will find the climb—and the 400-yard walk from the parking lot—a little arduous. You can take a 3D virtual tour of the former château that once stood on the grounds, in its only remaining pavilion, for an idea of its pre-destruction magnificence (it was demolished in 1823 for unknown reasons), then rent a little rowboat (€6 per hour) to float across the adjoining lake. It's worth a quick stop if you're in the area, especially for architecture buffs, and the views from the top are lovely.

Once you've visited the castle, recharge your camera batteries and head for the medieval heart of town, Rue Haute St-Maurice. Block after block of storybook half-timber houses make this street a virtual open-air museum that catapults you back to the days of Rabelais. It's also home to one actual museum—the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire at No. 44, which is devoted to the arts and crafts of Chinon and the surrounding area from prehistory to the 19th century.

This long-established producer of Saumur wines offers guided tours of its production facilities and cellars, followed by a wine-tasting session.