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The Loire
The Loire Valley region of France is named after the river that traverses its towns of Blois, Orléans and Tours for good reason. As the river’s waters run through central France from the east, meandering down some 600 miles to the Atlantic Ocean, so does the region brings the best that the north and south of the country can offer.
Loire’s climate is relatively cool downriver because of the maritime influence of the ocean breeze. Sun lovers appreciate the gradual rise in temperatures as one moves up river to warmer climes to the west. The right weather for wine, food and culture thrives in Loire—making the region a favorite escape by French city-dwellers on the weekends and summer months.
It is no surprise that this immense wine county has a reputation as a reminder of royalty’s glory days gone by, as well as a wellspring for creative endeavors, attracting poets and artists throughout the centuries.
Sumptuous châteaux that abound in Loire attest to the traveling bards drawn to these regal medieval courts since in the 13th centuries, when its town of Orléans was the country’s capital of arts and intellect. Both guests and locals alike relive the life of Renaissance France through a visit to one of the two famous châteaux in Loire, the Chambord and the Chenonceaux. These are only two of the many present in the region.
For those wanting to sample Loire nature, the windswept Vendée in the south calls to windsurfers, rounded by a wild, sandy coast. More contemplative nature-lovers may opt to explore the region’s peaceful tributaries and the watery Sologne region, with its troglodyte caves, sleepy hamlets, and small Romanesque churches decorated with ancient wall-to-wall frescoes.
Quaint inns teeming with locals and travelers alike offer an abundance of game and freshwater fish, in typical delicate cuisine of the valley. Where each day and meal is expected to end with a toast over a glass of the regions’ famous crisp white wines like a light Vouvrays.
