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DESTINATION JARDINS’ IN THE LOIRE VALLEY REGION
Fall under the charm… For garden-lovers – experts or otherwise – the Loire Valley Tourist Board has recently published a new brochure entitled "Destination jardins en région Centre". Historic, contemporary, medieval, vegetable, botanical – this brochure has selected 24 wonderful gardens for you to discover in the Loire Valley, Berry and Eure et Loir regions. There is a page for each garden, and features on special moments in the year and organised events, all of them bound to make you want to spend some time with friends or family in these gardens, unique, exceptional places to be discovered and rediscovered each season…
Villages and Towns of exception
France's Loveliest Detours
Beaugency, the "Princess of the Loire"
Between Beauce and Sologne, Beaugency stands regally in the heart of the Valley of Kings. A strategic point on the Loire River thanks to its medieval bridge, the town was freed from the English by Joan of Arc. Bearing testimony to this long history, you can see the castle built by Dunois, the companion of arms of Joan of Arc, the 11th century dungeon known as the "Tour César", as well as Saint-Etienne Church...
In Châteaudun, the land of Dunois
Overlooking the Loir Valley, the castle and its dungeon were owned by Jean de Dunois in the 15th century. A visit here plunges you back into the Middle Ages. The medieval atmosphere can be found in the ancient quarters when the traditional Wool Fair is held. The curious Foulon Caves, formed by the waters of the Loir tens of millions of years ago, offer a great lesson in geology.
Between Beauce and Sologne, Beaugency stands regally in the heart of the Valley of Kings. A strategic point on the Loire River thanks to its medieval bridge, the town was freed from the English by Joan of Arc. Bearing testimony to this long history, you can see the castle built by Dunois, the companion of arms of Joan of Arc, the 11th century dungeon known as the "Tour César", as well as Saint-Etienne Church...
In Châteaudun, the land of Dunois
Overlooking the Loir Valley, the castle and its dungeon were owned by Jean de Dunois in the 15th century. A visit here plunges you back into the Middle Ages. The medieval atmosphere can be found in the ancient quarters when the traditional Wool Fair is held. The curious Foulon Caves, formed by the waters of the Loir tens of millions of years ago, offer a great lesson in geology.
La Châtre, "the town I have loved so much..." wrote George Sand
Built on a hillside looking down on the Indre River, La Châtre boasts a protected architectural heritage: wood houses, townhouses, former tanneries, medieval bridge... In the names of the streets and at the nearby sites described by the novelist, George Sand is everywhere. The famous film director Jacques Tati stayed not far away, in Sainte-Sévère where he filmed Jour de fête.
Loches, a town of contrast
The good life described by Alfred de Vigny, born in Loches, contrasts with the town's troubled history. Overlooking the Indre Valley, the royal citadel was a strategic point in the Middle Ages. The prize at stake in the ferocious battle between the Capetiens and Plantagenets, Loches was for a long time the residence of the future king Charles VII and his mistress Agnès Sorel. Discover the Chancellerie, Saint-Ours collegiate church, and the Vignemont troglodyte quarry…
Mehun-sur-Yèvre, the porcelain town
This little town had its period of glory in the Middle Ages. Proof of its past splendour can be seen in the remains of the castle (13th and 14th centuries) where Jean de Berry, Charles VII, Joan of Arc and Agnès Sorel all stayed. Charles VII died here in July 1461. In the gardens of Duke Jean de Berry, the Porcelain Centre exhibits more than 2000 remarkable pieces, attesting to a porcelain tradition born in the 19th century and still present today.
Montargis, the "Venice of Gâtinais"
Montargis, the "Venice of Gâtinais" offers 128 bridges and gangways, islets, canals and streets on the water which can all be admired by taking the "bridge circuit". The unexpected "Chinese circuit" follows the traces of young Chinese intellectuals who came to Montargis in the early 20th century to study and work. Among them, Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlaï played a key role in the Chinese Revolution. More traditional, the Girodet Museum is named after a local painter, a pupil of David.
Nogent-le-Rotrou, in the heart of the Perche Regional Nature Park
In the heart of the Perche Regional Nature Park, a land of hills and green hedgerows, Nogent-le-Rotrou has a rich history. In the Middle Ages, its strategic position at the gateway to the kingdom of France made it a coveted place. 11th and 15th century Château Saint-Jean and the Perche Museum evoke the life and history of this country where the horse is king. The tomb of the Duke of Sully is in the rotunda, close to the church.
Saint-Amand-Montrond, the town of gold
Saint-Amand-Montrond is France's 3rd biggest gold-manufacturing town. Visit the Cité de l'Or with its museum area, unique in France, devoted to this precious metal. The town also has beautiful architecture: church, 15th century ramparts, Saint-Vic Museum, Capucins Convent, houses with little towers. Montrond Fortress (13th century), successively owned by the Duke of Sully and the Prince of Condé, explains the evolution of military architecture.
Incomparable Sancerre
Sancerre looks down on the Loire and the vineyards of Sancerre, the world-famous wine that goes perfectly with Crottin de Chavignol goat's cheese. At the Maison des Sancerre, all the facets of this wine area and the winegrowers' ancestral know-how are revealed to you. The town with its picturesque streets and monuments magnificently lit up in the evening also bears testimony to a prestigious past: 14th-century Tour des Fiefs, 16th-century belfry...
In the footsteps of Talleyrand in Valençay
When you arrive in Valençay, you are immediately struck by its beauty. The 16th century castle standing on a hilltop overlooks the town from its massive towers with slate roofs. Inspired by Chambord, it was a gift from Napoleon to Talleyrand. In the town a circuit reveals the sites and monuments related to the presence of the prince (wheat market, church, tomb...).
Built on a hillside looking down on the Indre River, La Châtre boasts a protected architectural heritage: wood houses, townhouses, former tanneries, medieval bridge... In the names of the streets and at the nearby sites described by the novelist, George Sand is everywhere. The famous film director Jacques Tati stayed not far away, in Sainte-Sévère where he filmed Jour de fête.
Loches, a town of contrast
The good life described by Alfred de Vigny, born in Loches, contrasts with the town's troubled history. Overlooking the Indre Valley, the royal citadel was a strategic point in the Middle Ages. The prize at stake in the ferocious battle between the Capetiens and Plantagenets, Loches was for a long time the residence of the future king Charles VII and his mistress Agnès Sorel. Discover the Chancellerie, Saint-Ours collegiate church, and the Vignemont troglodyte quarry…
Mehun-sur-Yèvre, the porcelain town
This little town had its period of glory in the Middle Ages. Proof of its past splendour can be seen in the remains of the castle (13th and 14th centuries) where Jean de Berry, Charles VII, Joan of Arc and Agnès Sorel all stayed. Charles VII died here in July 1461. In the gardens of Duke Jean de Berry, the Porcelain Centre exhibits more than 2000 remarkable pieces, attesting to a porcelain tradition born in the 19th century and still present today.
Montargis, the "Venice of Gâtinais"
Montargis, the "Venice of Gâtinais" offers 128 bridges and gangways, islets, canals and streets on the water which can all be admired by taking the "bridge circuit". The unexpected "Chinese circuit" follows the traces of young Chinese intellectuals who came to Montargis in the early 20th century to study and work. Among them, Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlaï played a key role in the Chinese Revolution. More traditional, the Girodet Museum is named after a local painter, a pupil of David.
Nogent-le-Rotrou, in the heart of the Perche Regional Nature Park
In the heart of the Perche Regional Nature Park, a land of hills and green hedgerows, Nogent-le-Rotrou has a rich history. In the Middle Ages, its strategic position at the gateway to the kingdom of France made it a coveted place. 11th and 15th century Château Saint-Jean and the Perche Museum evoke the life and history of this country where the horse is king. The tomb of the Duke of Sully is in the rotunda, close to the church.
Saint-Amand-Montrond, the town of gold
Saint-Amand-Montrond is France's 3rd biggest gold-manufacturing town. Visit the Cité de l'Or with its museum area, unique in France, devoted to this precious metal. The town also has beautiful architecture: church, 15th century ramparts, Saint-Vic Museum, Capucins Convent, houses with little towers. Montrond Fortress (13th century), successively owned by the Duke of Sully and the Prince of Condé, explains the evolution of military architecture.
Incomparable Sancerre
Sancerre looks down on the Loire and the vineyards of Sancerre, the world-famous wine that goes perfectly with Crottin de Chavignol goat's cheese. At the Maison des Sancerre, all the facets of this wine area and the winegrowers' ancestral know-how are revealed to you. The town with its picturesque streets and monuments magnificently lit up in the evening also bears testimony to a prestigious past: 14th-century Tour des Fiefs, 16th-century belfry...
In the footsteps of Talleyrand in Valençay
When you arrive in Valençay, you are immediately struck by its beauty. The 16th century castle standing on a hilltop overlooks the town from its massive towers with slate roofs. Inspired by Chambord, it was a gift from Napoleon to Talleyrand. In the town a circuit reveals the sites and monuments related to the presence of the prince (wheat market, church, tomb...).