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Loire Valley Tour Highlights :
Azay le Rideau
Archetypal early Renaissance Chateau with a magnificent staircase. The setting is one of the most romantic in the Loire Valley, between two branches of the Indre river. 'A diamond with two facets, set in the Indre, mounted on a flower-covered support', Balzac: from 'Le lys dans la vallee'.
Amboise
One of the first royal defensive medieval castle overlooking the Loire and its charming city; a combination Gothic and Renaissance. Interesting furniture.
Blois
A large royal Chateau illustrating the development of French architecture from the 13th to the 17th century. Facade of the Loges, Louis XII wing, Francois I wing, Gaston d'Orleans wing, the apartments of Francois I, musee des Beaux-Arts.
Cheverny
Cheverny is the perfect example of a Louis XIII Chateau, elegant and of unusually unified style with a magnificent decor. The staircase and furniture (King's Room) are exceptional; interesting Musee de la Venerie (Hunting Museum). Herge (the
author of Tintin) used it as a model to draw Moulinsart.
Chambord
The largest of the Chateaux of the Loire built as hunting grounds for Francois Ist. Impressive and majestic, it has architecturally innovative terraces with the famous "double revolution" staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci: 'an abridged version of human industry', as Charles V said.
Chaumont:
Elegant Gothic and Renaissance Chateau castle flanked by spectacular and numerous towers on a dominating site. The park was designed by contemporary landscape gardens. 'Black trees surround this ancient manor house on a sides and, from afar, resemble the feathers on King Henry's hat'.
Chenonceau
A stunning fairytale bridge castle stretching across the River Cher with Renaissance and Classic architecture of rare elegance.
Chinon
Impressive medieval ensemble consisting of three Chateaux on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Loire. Here Joan of Arc met the future Charles VII
de Villandry
A remarkable reconstruction of the 16th c. gardens divided in three terraces. The last of the great Chateaux of the Loire, it reflects a combination of influences from the Loire Valley (Renaissance) and Ile-de-France (Classicism).
Stay longer and discover some of the marvels of the loire valley. Image visiting a castle under a castle or staying in an elegant hotel built into man made caves.
Only 2 hours from Paris and you are in the magnificent Loire Valley where you can tour the magical chateaux and gardens. There are 1000 chateaux and more than 100 are open to the public.
It is said that "The Loire is a Queen and Kings have loved her". The Loire has been the home of Kings since the 10th century. From the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, the Kings and Queens of the Loire Valley championed intellectual and artistic creation. The result is an endowment of accomplishments for all time in the arts and literature, as well as extraordinary examples of magnificent architecture and landscaping.
It is worth considering limiting your visits to those you think you will enjoy the most or are closer to your interests and perhaps just "driving by" others.
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These excursions will give you an idea of "castle life" and the essence of royal lifestyle since the Medieval and Renaissance. We have selected the most beautiful and representative of the region for you to visit on these long day excursions to the Garden of France
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Renaissance Castle Semi Private Tour by mini-van (max 8)
Departures: Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays at 6:30am
Cost : 208€pp
Includes :
Hotel or Apartment Pick Up and Drop Off
Transport by Air-Conditioned Minibus
Lunch with wine
Entry tickets
Description: You will be chauffeured by our driver-guide from your accommodation to to through the French Countryside to visit 3 famous Renaissance castles of the Loire Valley.
You will be amazed by marvelous chateau Chambord and the largest wooded park in Europe. It is believed that Leonardo da Vinci, then living at the Clos Lucé, made several plans & models used for the construction of the chateau.
During your day in the French Countryside, you will also enjoy the visit of the cradle of the Renaissance, Chateau Amboise, one of the first truly royal residences of its kind dating back to the 15th and 16th century.
You will have lunch at Au Gateau Breton (or similar with fixed menu that is subject to change) a 2 century-old rustic inn, and a short walk from the chateau.
After lunch you will visit the magical chateau Chenonceau which sits on the Cher river
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Romantic & Medieval Castle Semi Private Tour by mini-van (max 8)
Departures: April - October on Fridays at 6:30am
Cost: 190€pp
Includes:
Hotel or Apartment Pick Up and Drop Off
Transport by Air-Conditioned Minibus
Entry tickets
Description: Step back to medieval times and visit the renaissance Chateau de Villandry and its famous garden, the impressive medieval fortress of Langeais and Château d'Azay Le Rideau built on piles sunk into an island in the River Indre.
Take a private tour with our highly experienced bilingual licensed driver guide to the Loire and visit the famous chateaux, do a wine tasting or even a balloon adventure.
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Sample Tours:
We then drive along the Loire towards Chenonceau for a guided visit of the "château of the Dames" followed by an optional wine tasting close to Amboise.
After lunch a guided visit of Clos Luce the last residence of Leonardo da Vinci and the gardens where the inventions of this genius are displayed. or a visit of Amboise Castle symbol of a new style of architecture: the French Renaissance.
On the way back to Chambord, François I's dream château (the largest château in France before the Palace of Versailles was built) to see Leonardo de Vinci's double spiral staircase and the exceptional top floor terrace.
Return to Paris (arrival around 7pm)
Other itineraries including wine tastings and a visit to a magnificent monastery and village or even a stop in Chartres to visit the stained glass windows on the way. Just ask!
Gourmet Lunch Itinerary
We begin with a guided visit of the of Clos Luce or Amboise Castle
At the end of the morning, you leave for Chenonceau where lunch (included) is served in the castle’s Orangerie (summer) or in the village (winter).
At the beginning of the afternoon, there is a visit of the Chenonceau Castle, called the “Château aux Dames” built on the Cher.
The last stop is Montrichard for a visit of Monmousseau Cellars –an important wine producer in the region– where you will taste 3 vintages.
Touraine, is known as the "Garden of France", where kings and nobles competed to outdo the magnificence of each other's chateaux . Rabelais, the great epicurean writer, was born in Chinon and never tired of praising the local wines.
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Sample Itinerary
First stop Vouvray: The the largest white wine appellation of the Anjou-Saumur-Touraine region and it produces splendid wines from dry and austere to the richest dessert wines, as well as excellent sparkling wines.
You take a 90 minute visit of the cellars and vineyard before a 6 wine tastings. Petillant, Sec: Dry wines, Sec-tendre: a style just leaning towards off-dry, Demi-sec: 'half-dry', Moelleux: Sweet Wines , Licquoreux, and Rose.
Close to Chenonceau we visit a small producer in Blere to taste a range of 3 Reds
including the famous Cabernet Franc.
We end with a light tasting Lunch: Local terrine (paté) and bread, goat cheese ,and apple pie, with the wine tasting - Cost: 13€/pers and a tasting of 5 wines :
1 AOC Cheverny White 2009
2 AOC Cour-Cheverny White "Cuvée Fleur de Lis 2005" & "Cuvée Salamandre 2006",
1 AOC Cheverny Red 2009 or 2007
1 AOC Cheverny Rosé 2009 or 2007
If time we'll stop by the Chateux de Cheverny or we might do a quick morning visit in Chateau de Chenonceau.
Return to Paris at 4pm
