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| Château de Villandry A wonderful restored Rennaissance
château and garden, built on flat land by the banks of the River
Cher near where it flows into the Loire. The property
passed through many hands and suffered many changes before it
was bought in 1906 by the present owner's grandfather Dr Joachim
Carvallo, a Spaniard who had come to France to study medicine.
He meticulously restored the buildings and made the garden that
we see today, influenced by the book Les Plus Excellents
Bâtiments de France by J. A. du Cerceau (c1515-c84). |
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Chateau
de Usse
This Chateau was the inspiration for Charles Perrault’s folk
tale “Sleeping Beauty”. |
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| Chateau Chenonceau
In a superb setting and very romantic on a summers evening,
everyone loves this Chateau, and gardens, you can hire
rowing boats or take boat trips on the river, which the children
love, there is also a good restaurant in the grounds, or if you
prefer to take one, a good picnic site with plenty of tables in
the shade, situated near the main gates. |
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Chateau Amboise.
Although all but the
royal apartments are still in ruin, this 15th century structure,
is an awesome site. Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years
of his life here. The main street, which lies along the base of
the Chateau at first seems quite touristy, but there are some
nice shops, wonderful cafes, and a few terrific restaurants |
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| Chateau Brézé. For those of you with children
the Chateau at Brézé, is in two parts, both above and below
ground where there is an old medieval chateau, where hundreds of
people lived many years ago, this has proved very popular with
guests children, as their imagination goes wild!! It’s also
great for the adults as you can taste and buy the wine they have
for sale, which is a lovely fruity white, superb on a summers
evening. |
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Chateau
Saumur
A majestic Chateau, with stunning views overlooking the town and River
Loire, in the Chateau itself there is a porcelain collection of
miniatures.
In the grounds
there is a lovely tearoom restaurant where you can sit on the terrace
and enjoy the spectacular views.
There
is much to do and see in Saumur which is our nearest town, it is home to
the famous Cadre Noir,
who host horsemanship shows each July, for more information visit
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Other Chateaux in the region include
Azay Le Rideau, Montsoreau. Loches, Blois, Le Lude,
Chambord,
Cheverny, Sully, Angers, Beauregard,
Chinon, Valency, Fonte, Montgeoffroy, Ferte-St-Aubin, Chamerolles,
Brissac and Gien. |
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Tourist Attractions |
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Well worth a visit is the
historical
Fontevraud
Abbey, with its association with Richard the Lion heart and
Eleanor of Aquitaine. A superb piece of architecture, it has been
symmetrically restored in
the last few years, making it hard to believe that this beautiful place
was used as a prison until 1974.
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Tanks Museum - Very interesting for
the enthusiast.
Leonardo da Vinci museum at Le Clos-Luce, Amboise
Leonardo da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life close to the
Château at Amboise. The basement now houses a display of 40 models based
on his inventions.
River trips - A river-boatman
and guide will let you in on the stories and traditions of the Loire as
you drift along past the charming villages, sandbanks brimming with birds
and river landscapes constantly changing according to the time and
weather.
http://www.loiredelumiere.com
or
www.maine-anjou-riviers.com
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Restaurants, Wines, Shopping and
Markets |
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RESTAURANTS - Whatever your culinary preferences
you can eat at some excellent restaurants in the locality, from the
lunchtime cheapies, which are highly recommended by the workers who know
a good lunch for 10 euros, to top class nouvelle cuisine with all the
trimmings. Your feast may be accompanied by the excellent red,
white, rose and sparkling wines made from neighbouring vineyards. For
something different there are also Chinese and Indian restaurants in the
towns. |
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WINES -
The area produces some of the finest wines in France and you can visit the
caves (wine producers) where they will guide you through the process and you can taste before buying.
In a local area where you see a sign for a vineyard you may ring
their bell and ask for a wine tasting. If delighted you may buy either
by the bottle or case or, in some vineyards, by the box. |
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SHOPPING - There are many specialist shops in the Loire
Valley and they can satisfy even the most dedicated shopper. Whether you
are looking for a designer outfit (French), luxury foodstuff, or antiques
they can all be found in the many towns dotting the area. Remember, they
usually close for a rather long lunch hour but they will stay open until
early evening and are quite happy for you to browse. |
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MARKETS - In the Garden of France every village and town
has a weekly market for you to visit. The locals shop in the markets for
their fruit, vegetables, cheese, flowers and clothes. They usually finish
at lunchtime but then you can do as the French do and visit a local
hostelry or restaurant for some refreshment. and to discuss your
purchases. |
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French markets there is
usually one in each town every week, here are a few to choose from.
Bourgueil:
Tuesday morning until 12.00pm, a superb market and one of our
favourites, with a superb range of fresh produce, crafts etc.
Vernantes:
Wednesday morning until 12.00pm, a small friendly market.
Saumur:
Saturday morning throughout the beautiful town centre a lovely bustling
market, with a superb range of stalls and produce, until just after
lunch. Also situated on the island between the old bridges Thursday
mornings until 12.00pm.
Noyant:
Friday mornings until 12.00pm, a good market with a wide choice of
stalls.
Langeais:
Sunday mornings until 12.00pm, a lovely market in a picturesque and
friendly town.
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