Jallanges Chateau, Vernou-sur-Brenne

In the grounds of the 17th century Château Perrièrre, the golf club is within ancient trees, water features and different plant varieties that create this undulating course offering a diverse round.

Take in the magnificent scenery of the Loire by air in a hot air balloon. Offering a number of different tours and launch sites along the Loire river, what better way to take in the châteaux from up above where their size and splendour can really be seen.

This 18-hole course is set in the grounds of an 18th-century château which is now a leisure complex with outdoor pool and tennis courts as well as a charming hotel.

This relatively new course, set in beautiful Saumur, is a pleasant 9-hole round if you're searching for a change from historical monuments and châteaux.

Canoeing and kayaking tours on the Loire river are offered by this company based in Loire. An excellent way to enjoy this beautiful countryside, you can take overnight tours, camping at night, or do the more active sport kayaking in fast rapids.

Balloon Revolution offer flights over the Touraine region of the Loire Valley allowing you to discover its beautiful châteaux from the sky. Usually launching from the grounds of one of the châteaux, it's an unforgettable experience.

Chef, Didier Edon, has a Michelin star for his excellent restaurant in the Hautes Roches manor house.

This small restaurant in Angers serves traditional French cuisine made with locally-sourced fresh market ingredients explained on the classic chalkboard menu.

Escape into the countryside and discover this rustic French restaurant serving traditional meals with pretty views of the gardens.

This fondue house and chocolatier has been running since 1913 serving pastries, macaroons and wonderful hand-made chocolates in its tea house. You can attend a chocolate-making demonstration and workshop.

Sample their gourmet burgers, inventive salads, sweet & savoury pancakes and delicious sundaes.

This contemporary dining room is housed in a 19th century town house.

Dating back to the 14th century, this Renaissance château was home to many royal mistresses. Nowadays it is visited more for its beautiful grounds which include a vegetable garden with a massive 650 varieties of tomato, the contemporary and colourful Dalhia garden and a medicinal garden. It is possible to stay in the château and take cookery classes there.

This emblematic monument and its landscaped gardens offer one of the most remarkable panoramas of the Loire Valley. A regal heritage, the Château d'Amboise has been home to Charles VII, Louis XI and Charles VIII. The château is registered as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Still incredibly impressive, the current buildings are just one fifth of the original palace which was destroyed and neglected over the years. Leonardo da Vinci is buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert in the château's grounds.

Home to Leonardo da Vinci during his final years, this house was built in the 15th century and was a gift to da Vinci from King François I. The death of Leonardo da Vinci, on 2nd May 1519, marked the end of an era in the history of the Château du Clos Lucé. Today the château is a listed monument and has been restored in an authentic style, displaying an impressive collection of da Vinci's inventions and machines.

The building of this impressive Roman Catholic cathedral commenced in the 12th century and not completed until the 16th century. It is a national historic monument, in a glorious Gothic style, though it has Romanesque features such as its tower buttresses. It is nearly 100 metres long.

This museum is dedicated to modern stained glass and mosaic producing techniques and contains pieces of art which are famous paintings depicted in glass colours. It is located in the Hôtel Raimbault which dates back to the early 19th century. This particular stain glass technique was developed by Jean Cocteau.

Founded in the 11th century, this priory has long been a place where pilgrims took shelter en route to Santiago de Compostela. In the 16th century Pierre de Ronsard, the French Renaissance poet, became the prior - the priory still features the prior's house with de Ronsard's workroom. The rose gardens pay an appropriate homage to the poet who is buried in the church apse.