The Loire Valley
If you only have time to visit one château in the Loire, you might as well make it the grandest – and Chambord is the most lavish of them all, and the…
Must-see attractions in The Loire Valley
Blois
Seven French kings lived in Blois' royal château, whose four grand wings were built during four distinct periods in French architecture: Gothic (13th…
Amboise
The most exciting Loire château to open to visitors in years, Gaillard is the earliest expression of the Italian Renaissance in France. Begun in 1496, the…
Amboise
It was at the invitation of François I that Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), aged 64, took up residence in this grand manor house, built in 1471. An admirer…
The Loire Valley
Declared a 'masterpiece of Gothic art' by Unesco, Bourges' 118m-long cathedral was built between 1195 and 1324 on the site of earlier churches and Gallo…
Orléans
In a country of jaw-dropping churches, Gothic-style Cathédrale Ste-Croix still raises a gasp. Originally built in the 13th century, it underwent tinkering…
Angers
Looming above the river, this forbidding medieval castle – seat of power of the once-mighty counts of Anjou – is ringed by moats, 2.5m-thick walls and 17…
Musée Jean Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine
Angers
Inspired by the Apocalypse Tapestry in the château, Jean Lurçat (1892–1966) began his epic tapestry masterpiece, Le Chant du Monde (Song of the World;…
-
Amboise
Perched atop a rocky escarpment above town, Amboise's castle was a favoured retreat for all of France's Valois and Bourbon kings. Only a few of the…
-
Orléans
Orléans’ five-level fine-arts museum is a treat, with an excellent collection of Italian, Flemish and Dutch paintings (including works by Correggio,…
-
The Loire Valley
One of France’s few Carolingian-era churches, this exceptional oratory – sadly, over-restored in the mid-19th century – is renowned for its unusual…
-
Blois
This museum of magic occupies the one-time home of watchmaker, inventor and conjurer Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805–71), after whom the American magician…
The Loire Valley
Perhaps the Loire's most elegantly proportioned château, Cheverny represents the zenith of French classical architecture: a perfect blend of symmetry,…
The Loire Valley
Set on a strategic bluff with sweeping views along the Loire, Chaumont-sur-Loire is known for three things: the château itself, which has a medieval…
Amboise
Three kilometres south of Amboise, this seven-storey, vaguely Asian 'pagoda' (44m) was built between 1775 and 1778, when blending classical French…
-
The Loire Valley
The 54-sq-km hunting reserve around the Château de Chambord – the largest walled park in Europe – is reserved for the exclusive use of very high-ranking…
-
Blois
Blois’ medieval and Renaissance old town is well worth a stroll. The façade of Maison des Acrobates – one of Blois' few surviving 15th-century houses – is…
-
The Loire Valley
With its machicolated ramparts (featuring holes for pouring boiling liquid on attackers), soaring round turrets and steeply pitched roof, this fairy-tale…
-
Angers
One of the earliest examples of Angevin (Plantagenet) architecture in France, Gothic Cathédrale St-Maurice is distinguished by its striking Norman portal…
-
The Loire Valley
Smaller and less visited than the Blésois' more famous châteaux, peaceful Beauregard has charms all its own. Built as yet another hunting lodge by…
-
Angers
Angers' austere, mainly 12th- to 13th-century cathedral has a striking Norman porch and nave (mid-1100s); the latter's three convex vaults, forming a…
-
The Loire Valley
Idyllically situated amid rolling countryside near Céré-la-Ronde, this turreted château, furnished by the family in the late 19th and early 20th centuries…
-
The Loire Valley
Often used as a location for films set in the Middle Ages, Le Mans' old city and its picturesque, stone-paved lanes – and tiny vineyard – are surrounded…
-
CERCIL – Musée-Mémorial des Enfants du Vel d'Hiv
Orléans
Between 1941 and 1943, more than 16,000 Jews were interned in two camps about 50km northeast of Orléans, Beaune-la-Rolande and Pithiviers. The adults were…
-
The Loire Valley
Home to about 40 Benedictine monks, this abbey – shut down during the Revolution and reopened in 1944 – is known for its Romanesque basilica, whose 11th…
-
Orléans
The Renaissance-style Hôtel Groslot was built between 1530 and 1550 as a private mansion for lawyer and bailiff Jacques Groslot; it became Orléans’ city…
-
Angers
Has a superior 14th- to 20th-century collection (mainly paintings) that ranges from French masters Ingres, Fragonard and Watteau to the Florentine Lorenzo…
-
Angers
The Angers-born sculptor Pierre-Jean David (1788–1856), aka David d’Angers, is renowned for his lifelike sculptures, which adorn public monuments such as…
-
The Loire Valley
Fans of Tintin might find the façade of Château de Cheverny strangely familiar: Hérgé used it as a model (minus the two end towers) for Moulinsart …
-
The Loire Valley
This quirky château is still furnished much as it was 150 years ago when it belonged to Polish count, financier, railroad magnate and friend-of-Napoleon…
-
The Loire Valley
Built from the 11th to the 15th century, this vast cathedral juxtaposes a Romanesque nave with later Gothic elements. The stained glass dates as far back…
-
Musée d'Histoire et d'Archéologie
Orléans
The centrepiece of this history museum, in the Renaissance-style Hôtel Cabu, is an extraordinary collection of Celtic and Gallo-Roman bronzes, recovered…
-
The Loire Valley
Built in the early 1100s and rebuilt in the mid-1600s after being burnt by Calvinists during the Wars of Religion, this church – visited by Joan of Arc in…
-
Blois
Avant-garde from the floorboards to the roof, this museum showcases the art and 'state of mind' of the 1960s Fluxus movement, inspired in part by the…
-
The Loire Valley
Well-presented exhibits tell the story of how a river that's basically non-navigable was used for commerce using ultra-shallow-draft (70cm) boats…
-
Orléans
An excellent 15-minute film (in French or English) tracing Joan of Arc's origins, accomplishments and historical impact is the main attraction at the…
-
The Loire Valley
Rochemenier is one of the region's best examples of troglodyte culture. You can explore the remains of two adjacent farmsteads, complete with dwellings,…
-
The Loire Valley
Inside this seigniorial residence, parts of which are Gothic, furnished rooms – and suits of armour – illustrate life in the 15th century (as does an…
-
Angers
Right behind Cathédrale St-Maurice stands the Maison d’Adam, one of the city’s best-preserved medieval houses (c 1500), which is decorated with a riot of…
-
Blois
Bandes dessinées (BD; adult comic books) have achieved the status of an art form in France. This museum, unique in the country, provides a rare…
