Discover The Loire Valley’s Grand Châteaux
Planning a trip to France, then visit the Loire Valley with more than 300 châteaux. Enchanting castles and medieval towns with delightful rose covered white limestone houses are architectural jewels in an incredible setting in a region that is nicknamed the “Garden of France” for its abundance of vineyards and orchards.
In 1415, the English forced the King of France and his court to seek refuge in the Loire Valley in fortresses along the Loire and Cher rivers. When the French Renaissance began after the need for defenses were gone, the medieval fortresses slowly evolved over time into royal castles and vast countryside estates. The Loire’s climate was mild, hunting was good and there was excellent wine and food provisions readily available. Kings, princes and noblemen continued to build castles and live in the region for the next two centuries trying to outdo each other with their country estates.
My husband and I have had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful region time and time again over the years. We love driving the wonderful back roads enjoying the picturesque countryside as we pass vineyards and orchards of apples, cherries, and Anjou pears on our way to nearby villages.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show
Nine of the charming villages in the Loire are on the official list of most beautiful villages in France. Narrow cobbled streets are lined with rose clad houses made of white limestone that beckon you to stop and take a short stroll.
We like to stay at one of the converted château hotels in the region for a couple of days and make day trips in the surrounding area. After morning tours of one, perhaps two château, we check the Michelin guide and look for a restaurant in one of the many pretty hilltop villages that is rated with a Bib Gourmand which means that it serves “good cuisine at reasonable prices”. We sip a glass of Sancerre and have a leisurely lunch before we head back to our hotel to relax after a full day of exploring nature, the splendid architecture, the good food and wine, as the French would say enjoying “the art of living”.
In the past we have always stayed at Domaine des Hauts de Loire, an ivy covered former 19th century hunting lodge outside the village of Onzain. The hotel is surrounded by 180 acres of parkland with tennis courts, pool, wooded paths for exploring, and a pond with swans.
However, during our last trip, we decided to stay at a small boutique hotel Le Manior Les Minimes in Amboise, a restored 18th century mansion with a traditional French interior and 15 rooms of various sizes. Its location, in a walled courtyard with free parking, couldn’t be better with its views of Amboise’s turreted royal chateau and the Loire river and it’s within a five minute walk to the town center.
While rated five stars, it doesn’t have an elevator or restaurant but does serve a buffet breakfast at an extra charge. There is an elegant lounge with an open bar for guests to relax. Renovated in 2021, the rooms are stylish, have flatscreen TVs, a minibar and are air conditioned. The bathrooms are spacious and well designed.
History abounds in this region that was once a seat of power for the kings and queens of France and has the largest concentration of château in the world. The most famous is undoubtedly the Château de Chambord, the largest castle in the Loire.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show
Others that are equally memorable are Villandry known for its splendid gardens, pretty Azay-le-Rideau which seems to be floating on the river, and Château d’ Amboise and Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s last home.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show
Château Chaumont-sur-Loire which was owned by Catherine de Medici, Chateau Blois the favorite residence of seven kings and ten queens of France and where Joan of Arc was blessed before heading off with her army to fight the English and beautiful Chenonceau, the second most visited castle in France after Versailles, and my personal favorite…each château has a story to tell.
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I can say without a doubt, that the Loire Valley is a traveler’s delight with its history, scenery and great food and wine. I would recommend renting a car as it is the best way to get off the beaten path and explore the Loire at your own pace.
I see these on Rick Steves all the time and I’ve always thought it would be a beautiful place to visit.
These buildings are beyond amazing! The stuff of fairy tales.
How beautiful! Thank you for taking us along, how wonderful to explore by car, and enjoying the countryside~
Jenna
So beautiful! Thank you for sharing, Karen.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
Very beautiful!!
The architecture is simply stunning. I went through a French country decor phase for many years. Thanks for the wonderful tour.
Karen, we haven’t visited the Loire Valley on our trips to France, but it is certainly on our list. Your photos are magical as well as your commentary! Thanks for sharing!
That sounds like an idyllic holiday!
Spectacular scenery! Your slide show looks like I’m looking at paintings. Thank you for sharing all the beauty of the Loire Valley!
Looks like living in style, Karen 🤗🩷 I’m off to visit friends in Brittany in a few weeks. Uncharted territory for me.
This is indeed a wonder of France – if these buildings could only talk! 😊
how beautiful are those buildings!
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
It seems really beautiful!
France have some of the most beautiful palaces and buildings!
https://eatraveloveblog.com
wow! Thanks for the tour! What a beautiful place! Living in Spain and having french relatives is incredible that we haven’t visited this beautiful area of France! Will have to remedy that soon, specially now that you have gifted us with all the highlights!! ☺️
Interesting post Karen – those French kings sure knew how to live.
A gorgeous part of the world. I loved all your photos.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos, Karen! I would love to go to France one day and see these beautiful places! 🙂
That is straight out of a fairy tale. Thanks for taking us along for the ride to enjoy some of the magic. 😉
Magnifique! Charming is always the first thing that pops in my mind seeing the Loire Valley- beautiful photos.
A lovely review of this region and its beautiful buildings Karen. I went there many years ago but it is all a blur now, just so overwhelming seeing all those castles in a couple of days! You definitely need a week here!
It is indeed a beautiful area. I haven’t been that way for years but have spent a lot of time there in the past. I agree it should definitely be on a traveller’s list for exploring France and your post is an excellent guide.
Gorgeous! The Loire Valley is one of those places I’ve always wanted to go but never got around to visiting. One day… !
Breathtaking! I want to start planning my own trip right now!
Karen, we visited the Loire Valley when we took our daughter to France for the first time. She was just 14. Now, at 33, she still recalls those memories with great joy and has returned many times. It is indeed a place of fairytales.
The Loire Valley is a gorgeous place with so many beautiful places. Thanks for sharing, now I want to go back.
Ahh… Loire Valleys. Beautiful photos, Karen. I love it!
Many years ago, we visited this valley with Rick Steves tours.
We’ve been to France a couple of times, but I think we need to spend more time in the Loire valley!! Thanks for taking us along on your visit!!! xo
What a stunning property. Honestly it looks like a movie set and it’s just immaculate! I need to see more of the Loire Valley.
Such a stunning part of France! And those chateaux’s are amazing 🙂
What beautiful photos! We have talked about taking a trip to France at some point, and the Loire River Valley is certainly on our list. I love medieval history, so I would eat up that part of this trip. Thanks for sharing!!
What a stunning place!
The Loire Valley sounds like an absolute dream destination! Your vivid descriptions of the chateaux, charming villages, and picturesque countryside have me itching to pack my bags and hit the road. Such an enchanting region!
Wonderful pictures, Karen! And to me a fabulous flashback to my childhood – when I was 9 our family did tour of almost all of the Loire valley châteux.
Hello, Karen! Mark and I have just returned from two weeks in Paris and a week in Tours in the Loire Valley. The châteaux you mention are among the most beautiful in the world, in my thoughts. we didn’t see any of them this visit, as we spent the entire time exploring the beautiful city of Tours. I have saved this in my travel files for the next time we go and visit the Loire Valley.
This reminds me of the Foodie Adventure we did in the Loire Valley when we had opportunity to visit the chateaus. I particularly enjoyed the gardens.
You always visit the most magical places, Karen! I loved hearing more about your experiences and how you choose places to eat as well. Your pictures are the stuff magical fairytales are made of – they’re gorgeous! Hugs, CoCo
A region with incredible wines. I hope you got to enjoy many glasses while there. 😉
So beautiful! This area is on our list for our next visit to France. I have had Chenonceau on my bucket list since high school (I’m a sucker for arches reflected in water).
Inger