What is the main city in the Loire Valley?

What is the main city in the Loire Valley?

Tours
The largest and arguably the most popular city in the region (Centre-Val de Loire) is Tours although the official ‘capital’ is Orleans.

Which city is in the Centre of the Loire Valley and its magnificent chateaux?

Amboise
Amboise : Attractive small town on the Loire, just east of Tours. the town has three châteaux, including the imposing royal château, and the Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life. Loches (36) Small town guilt around a fine medieval fortress and Renaissance castle.

Which part of France is Loire Valley?

central France
The Loire Valley (French: Val de Loire, pronounced [val də lwaʁ]), spanning 280 kilometres (170 mi), is a valley located in the middle stretch of the Loire river in central France, in both the administrative regions Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire.

What chateaux are in Loire Valley?

A Complete Guide To The Châteaux Of the Loire Valley

• Chambord.
• Chenonceau.
• Amboise.
• Cheverny.
• Villandry.
• Azay-le-Rideau.
• Blois.
• Ussé

What city is in the Centre of the Loire Valley?

Centre-Val de Loire is one of the 18 administrative regions of France. It straddles the middle Loire Valley in the interior of the country. The administrative capital is Orléans, but the largest city is Tours.

What are the major cities in Centre Val de Loire?

Largest cities

• Tours with 139,963 inhabitants (2016)
• Orléans with 114,644 inhabitants (2015)
• Bourges with 66,528 inhabitants (2015)
• Blois with 46,351 inhabitants (2014)
• Châteauroux with 43,732 inhabitants (2015)
• Chartres with 38,875 inhabitants (2015)

Where is the geographical Centre of France?

Centre lies in the Paris Basin and is bisected by the Loire River, which flows east to west. Other important rivers include the Loir, Eure, Indre, and Creuse rivers. The southern edge of the Beauce Plain, France’s main granary, extends into the northern part of the région.

What is Centre France known for?

It is famed for its Renaissance castle in the centre but the rest of the town with its medieval half-timbered houses, grand stone mansions and a lively cultural calendar.

Where is the Loire Valley in relation to Paris?

The Loire Valley is about 100 kilometers south of Paris. It takes about two hours to reach the Château de Chambord, about two hours and 15 minutes to reach the Château de Cheverny, and around 2.5 hours to arrive at the Château de Chenonceau or the Château Royal d’Amboise.

Where are the chateaux in the Loire Valley?

The châteaux of the Loire Valley (French: châteaux de la Loire) are part of the architectural heritage of the historic towns of Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Montsoreau, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours along the Loire River in France. They illustrate Renaissance ideals of design in France.

How many château are in the Loire Valley?

(CNN) — Who doesn’t love a good castle? But you can have too much of a good thing With more than 3.3 million visitors per year, the group of 42 chateaux that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Loire Valley is one of the most popular tourist destinations in France outside Paris itself.

Where in France is Centre Val de Loire?

Centre-Val de Loire – Wikitravel. The Centre (pronounced “son-truh”) [2] is a large inland region of central France located to the south-west of the French capital Paris.

Which is the best chateau to visit in the Loire Valley?

My list of the 14 must-see chateaus of the Loire Valley. 1 Chateau D’Amboise. This is my first pick for Chateau to visit it made sense for us since we drove the 3 hours to the Loire Valley we could visit this 2 Chateau Du Clos Luce. 3 Chateau De Chenonceau. 4 Chateau De Chambord. 5 Château de Villandry.

When was the Chateau de Chambord built in the Loire Valley?

The Loire Valley was added to the World Heritage List by UNESCO for its cultural landscapes in 2000. The Château de Chambord was originally built as a hunting lodge for King Francis I in 1519, but over time it blossomed into the largest chateau in the Loire Valley even though it was never truly finished.

What are the most famous chateaux in France?

Amongst the most famed are Chenonceau, Chambord, Amboise, Azay-le Rideau, Villandry and Blois. There are many other less famous Chateaux including that of Ussé which is said to have been the inspiration for the castle of the Sleeping Beauty.

What kind of wine is made in the Loire Valley?

The River Loire, besides being the setting of so many splendid buildings is also important for its rich agricultural soil and the many renowned vineyards of the area. There are no less than 22 AOC wines produced in this region including the famous Sancerre, Vouvray, and Chinon to mention just a few.