France! Aah! Such a beautiful country! Mind blowing food, culture, sizzling wines and beautiful people; what more could you need? Well you need to visit the Loire valley to get a full idea of what France is hiding from its tourists!
Where is it?
Loire valley is located two hours southwest of France. The valley is easily reachable by train and is often referred to as the “Garden of France.”
What is it famous for?
The Loire valley is chock-a-block with chateaus of ancient French nobility. High couture château-hotels as well as exquisite country auberges are available for the art-loving tourists. Most of the chateaus have been renovated for the use of tourists and you can stay in a few of the lesser known ones for a reasonable price. A few must-see chateaus are: Château de Chenonceau built by Catherine de’ Medici, Château de built by King François and it was his favorite summer palace, the magical Château de Ussé which inspired writer Charles Perrault to write about the fairytale “Sleeping beauty”, Leonardo da Vinci’s own favorite the Clos-Luce in Amboise and many, many more. There are famous villages like Saché which was the favorite of Frenchman Balzac, Fontevraud which has one of the eeriest medieval abbey’s in France, Chinon has a fairytale appeal with tinly elegant houses built at the time of Joan of Arc, as well as the high-couture Saumur which si filled with elegantly dressed locals.
Best time to travel?
The best time to catch the wonderful balmy weather is from May to July. The Loire river is undammed and the later you go, the sultrier the weather, and the river dries up leaving sand banks. Special son-et-lumière shows are held for tourists in July which is the peak of summer season. Autumn/winter strikes around September-October and you do get wonderful off-season discounts but be prepared for nasty weather swings. You will also get to taste really great winter season treats like wild mushrooms and potted game. On Sunday, most of the shops are along with major cities like Orléans, Tours, Angers.
Food and drink?
Ah! This is one thing you don’t have to worry about at all while in France. The Loire valley houses one of the best vineyards in the whole of France and you’ll get a well rounded variety of Savennières, Sancerre, and Chevernyw which are dry whites; or if you like sweet whites you can opt for Coteaux du Layon and Montlouis; for sweet whites you can go for Cabernet d’Anjou, and rosé; or the ever popular Bourgueil, Chinon, and Saumur-Champigny which are reds; and finally the Vouvray, white available in dry, sweet, or sparkling. Food is always the best in gastronomic France and you will be hard pressed to find a bad meal any where but regional specialties include-truffles, mushrooms and game cooked the traditional Loire way.
