Loire Valley – France is more popularly known by both locals and tourists as the “Garden of France” because of its beautiful rolling hills, eclectic collection of exotic flowers and its numerous sprawling vineyards.
Location
Loire Valley – France is situated within the north-central parts of the country. It passes through two regions of France: the Centre and the Western Loire.
Getting There
Loire Valley – France can be reached through two basic modes of transportation: car and train. Several major motorways can connect you to the valley: A6 motorway, A10 motorway, A71 motorway, A11 motorway and A20 motorway.
As you pass through any one of the motorways, the exits will be indicated through signages with corresponding kilometer-distances to let you know how far you still have to go to reach the valley.
Via train, there are several routes that you can take to reach Loire Valley – France, depending on where you will be coming from. Basically however, train services going through the valley start off from several points in Paris, Madrid and Barcelona.
On the other hand, you may also arrange for an airport transfer once you land at the airport so you can be directly driven to Loire Valley – France.
What to See
There are many beautiful landscapes, vineyards and flower gardens to explore when visiting Loire Valley – France. But other than these scenic spots, there are also a good number of magnificent architectural masterpieces, the most popular of which as the various chateaux standing in their majestic splendor.
For this reason, other than being known as the Garden of France, Loire Valley – France is also known as Chateaux de la Loire which translates to the “Castles of the Loire.”
Its beautiful castles are reminiscent of fairytale castles that are so popular in children’s books. This is perhaps why a lot of people take advantage of these castles and not only explore them during their visit but also choose these as their wedding venues for that perfect fairytale wedding.
Among these chateaux are Chateau Chambord, Chateau Amboise, Chateau Chaumont and Chateau Cheverny.
Brief History
There are over 300 chateaux scattered all over the Loire Valley and each one has its own story to tell. Briefly, these were first built back in the tenth century as fortifications but about five hundred years later, additional chateaux were built as residences mostly for the nobilities of the country.
The architectural designs of the chateaux depict Renaissance as well as Enlightenment or the Age of Enlightenment influences.
In 2000, the Loire Valley was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cost
Cost to visit the Loire Valley entails accommodations and transport. Accommodations can run anywhere from fifty-five Euros up to sixty-nine Euros per night for hotels and guest houses.
You can also opt to go with holiday rentals one hundred and forty Euros up to two hundred and forty-five Euros for a one-week stay. You may also check with the management of the accommodations of your choice for other packages. These could change from time to time especially during peak season.
Trains rides usually cost around twenty-two pounds for a one-way trip to the Loire Valley. Car rental costs vary depending on your car hire company as well as whether or not you will be traveling during peak or off-peak season.
