Loire Valley
Why go?
There are actually two Loire valleys: the grand Loire, with its
procession of magnificent châteaux (which we have yet to
research) and the pretty Loir (sans e) which has its own
charm and smaller, but equally lovely castles-turned-chambres
d’hôtes, like Chateau de la Barre.
In the Loir’s verdant 30 km vale are some important
historical sites. These include the 11th century ruins of the
Château de Lavardin and the village’s Romanesque church
frescoes, the Gothic Trinity Abbey in Vendôme, with some of
Europe’s oldest stained glass windows, and the Renaissance
Manoir de la Possonnière, birthplace of Pierre de Ronsard,
France’s ‘prince of poets’.
Less cavernous and more cave-like dwellings can be found in the
troglodyte village of Trôo; claustrophobic types may prefer
the outdoor delights of the beautifully landscaped Jardin du
Plessis Sasnières. Modern and ancient combine in the
medieval town of Le Mans, host of the famous 24-hour race car
circuit, and in Clos Lucé, the last resting place of
Leonardo da Vinci, now a park with interactive displays of his
genius inventions. And naturellement, there's wine tasting
at the excellent Loir wineries - a timeless pleasure.