Discover and book the top La Loire sights
This mosaic house is the remarkable work of one man over a period of 26 years from 1938 until 1964. The entire house and garden is covered in mosaics, depicting many sights, animals, flowers, and of course the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres.
This train dating from 1950s travels from Thoré to Trôo taking in troglodyte dwellings, Saint-Rimay tunnel, the town of Montoire and Varennes and more.
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.
Built on the river Cher, the Château de Chenonceau is the epitome of beauty. Château des Dames, as it is recorded in the French history books, owes a large part of its charm to women.
Built in the purest Louis XIII classical style and distinguished by an extraordinarily symmetrical architecture, Château de Cheverny dates back to the first part of the 17th century. It is the masterpiece of architect, mason and sculptor, Jaques Bougier and represents the desire for this royal château to be of extreme high quality and design. Inside, it is as you would expect, ornately adorned and beautifully finished. It houses the finest artwork collection of any château in the Loire. The grounds are immaculate with magnificent flowerbeds, ancient Cedar trees and Pines. You can hop on a boat tour along the château's canal. Interestingly, it inspired Tintin author, Hergé, who designed Captain Haddock's Marlinspike Hall based on the château's central structure but with the outer wings removed. The château houses a permanent exhibition on Tintin and his friends.
This historic 15th century château of the Goulaine family has been producing wine for centuries and it is unknown when they first sold it commercially. You can wander around its rich rooms, see an exhibition dedicated to the biscuit Lu and tour the butterfly house.
Named in honour of Saint Martin of Tours, this site contains an archaeological crypt which was excavated at the turn of the 20th century. The collegiate church and adjacent chapel date to the second half of the 12th century and are mainly Gothic in style. Left to decay for many years, the Collégiale Saint-Martin was subject to an extensive work in the late 20th century and has now been restored to its former glory.
The oratory at Germigny-des-Prés was built in typical Loire light stone in the early 9th century by Bishop Theodulf of Orléans. The Spanish bishop was one of the most significant in Carolingian times. It is one of few Western European churches of its kind still to be in existence. A pretty oratory, now the village church, the most impressive feature is the mosaic on the ceiling of the apse, showing the Ark of the Covenant. It was painted over for a long time, hence its excellent preservation and was only rediscovered in the mid 1800s.
This 18th century manor house was built for Marshal Louis Georges Érasme de Contades by the architect Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré from Paris. The site dates back to the 16th century, and the two round towers and chapel from the previous château have been cleverly incorporated into the newer building. It remains in excellent condition with the original furniture and family portraits inside. Its interior is perhaps more showy than the simple yet elegant exterior.
The 15th century country house where François Rabelais, the writer, doctor and humanist, lived is now a museum to his life and works. Located in Seuilly, it houses sketches of the writer, describes medicinal plants talked about in his works and even has a shop selling wine from the vineyards in the grounds.
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.
This zoo opened in 1946 and is the oldest zoo in France. It is located in a lovely natural environment and gardens. It is one of the most popular attractions by the river Loir and a whole day out for the family.
The famous Gothic cathedral in Chartres is thought to be one of the finest of its style and was built over a 60-year period in the late 12th and 13th centuries. It is incredibly well preserved and still contains many of the original stained glass windows. The cathedral has two huge asymmetrical towers, one simple smaller spire from the original construction and a taller, more extravagant spire dating from the 16th century. It has been a pilgrimage site itself since construction because it holds the Sancta Camisa, a shirt, which, according to legend, was worn by the Virgin Mary during the birth of Christ. The relic was a gift from Charles II. It gained UNESCO World Heritage Status in 1979 and attracts a huge number of visitors each year.
The Sancerre House dates back to the 14th century and is built like an upside-down nave. It was previously shared by several different owners but today it houses an exhibition space dedicated to Sancerre wine production, explaining why the soils combined with the vine growers “savoir-faire” make Sancerre such an exceptional wine area.
The lovely Château du Moulin was built in the late 15th century for Phillipe du Moulin, a friend of Charles VIII. It is an architectural gem in a mix of Renaissance and Gothic styles and is surrounded by a classical moat. This romantic dark stone château, hidden in the forest, is still inhabited.
One of the most incredible fortress-style châteaux in the Loire Valley, the Château d'Angers overlooks the Maine river. Though earlier buildings on the site were inhabited by the Romans, today's château was built in the 14th century for Louis IX. In the 14th century, its owner commissioned the Apocalypse Tapestry depicting stories from the medieval Book of Revelation; at 140 metres it was the longest tapestry in the world. Approximately 100 metres of it remain and are on display in the château which houses a museum containing of the oldest medieval tapestries in the world.
This town is almost as crazy about horses as it is about wine. This museum describes the history of the French cavalry - though you might notice that not all French achievements, or otherwise, are alluded to in the museum!
This vast royal abbey was founded in 1101 by Robert of Arbrissel, a preacher from Brittany. Its monastery buildings are Romanesque in design and were built to house 300 nuns. The abbey church, with its pristine white interior, was not completed until 1160. Having housed royal abbesses, its fortune changed and, from the early 19th century, it was turned into a prison before being donated to the French Ministry of Culture in 1960.