The Loire Valley: The Châteaux trail
The Loire Valley is renowed for its magnificent chateaux. Often referred as the garden of France with its luxuriant landscape, supreme cuisine and wines, sophisticated towns and cities, the Loire Valley epitomize the French life style.
In the 13th century, Orleans was a cultural and intellectual center attracting artists and poets to the Royal Court. The Court never stayed in one place long hence the constructions of sumptuous chateaux all along the Loire River.
Most visitors will start the trail from Tours or Angers but for a more authentic experience one should consider the historic towns of Amboise, Blois, Saumur and Beaugency.
Venture to the north of the region and you will find the cathedral cities of Le Mans and Chartres.
At the south part of the region, you will find a windy and wild sandy coastline ideal for windsurfers and nature lovers.
The Loire Valley is also reputed for its wines. The wine tours in the Loire Valley concentrate on Vouvray, Muscadet, Chinon and Bourgeuil.
The quaintest and most charming bases are Amboise, Blois, Beaugency and Saumur.
The Loire Valley can be explored by car, bike, horse, river boats or organized tours.
The Châteaux of Chenonceau 
The Château de Chenonceau was built from the Renaissance onwards by a number of aristocratic women (including Henry II’s mistress, Diane de Poitiers and Henry II’s wife, Catherine de Medici. The castle lies across the river Cher with a 197 ft gallery built over a number of arches. French author, Gustav Flaubert, described it as ‘floating on air and water’.
The Château of Chambord
Writer Henry James once said, “Chambord is truly royal – royal in its great scale, its grand air, and its indifference to common considerations.â€
The Chateau is the largest royal residence in the Loire Valley and utterly magnificent in its gargantuesque proportions. It features 128m of façade, more than 800 sculpted columns and an elaborately decorated roof. It is surrounded by a 52.5 km² wooded park enclosed by a 31 kilometre (20 mile) wall.
Its construction started from around 1519 by Francois I. Although Henry II continued the building work, the Chateau was completed only in 1685 by the Sun King, Louis XIV.
The stars features of the castle include:
• The roof terraces with their long chimney pots, tiny spires, shell domes and sculpted gables
• The vaulted guardrooms located around the Grand Staircase were at one point used as royal ballrooms and playrooms.
• The Grand Staircase is a double helix staircase. It has been suggested that the Grand Staircase was designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The design is one of the kind. The two helices ascend without meeting so that a person coming down can not meet a person going up
• The State Aparments are the grandest quarters in the Chateau. They include Louis XIV’s bed chambers
For a map of the Loire Valleyclick here.
Other suggested tours in France:
La route des vins
http://www.frenchwineroutes.com/burgundy.html
La route des chaumieres
http://www.normandie-accueil.fr/La-Route-des-Chaumieres,3,13,88.html
