The pageantry of a rich past is paraded the length and breadth of this much-visited region in the halls of its splendid châteaux. Each has its own unique charm that reflects the character of its creators and brings a touch of period elegance to the banks of the Loire. Holiday cottages in this part of the world are highly sought after for their access to these regal monuments.
Many towns boast their own châteaux and museums housing rich Renaissance treasures - Angers, Blois, Beaugency, Chinon, Langeais and Montreuil-Bellay among them. Notable cities within the region include historic Tours, Chartres with its great Gothic cathedral, and Orléans - famous for its links with Joan of Arc. Holiday cottages in the Loire’s lesser known areas also turn up small gems, including some of the prettiest villages in France like Montresor and Loches.
South of Loches, the rivers Indre and Creuse meander around the wetlands of the Parc Regional de la Brenne. The marshy Sologne, south-east of Blois is an ancient hunting ground complete with its very own clutch of châteaux and is the perfect place to find a holiday cottage in the Loire.
Also worth a detour from the main tourist trail is the River Loire, which winds its way west through a rural landscape to its confluence with the Sarthe near Angers. Holiday cottages in Loire that are scattered near to the region’s namesake river are characterised by the limestone caves that have doubled as wine cellars and extensions, many of which can be visited today.
It is almost impossible to miss the importance of the region’s wines when staying at a holiday cottage in the Loire. These include the dry white Muscadets for which Nantes and the mouth of the Loire are renowned, through the Anjou roses around Angers and the sparkling whites of Saumur, to the Touraine vineyards of the central Loire and white Sancerres of its upper reaches. Chances to explore the culture of wine abound as well as opportunities to see the history of local vintners.
Thermal currents coming in from the Bay of Biscay make for temperate, maritime weather around the Loire, so holiday cottages in this area are very rarely exposed to temperatures below 3 degrees in the winter and benefit from a cooling breeze in the summer.
Anyone with an interest in Leonardo Da Vinci will find a stay at a holiday cottage in the Loire’s heartland of Pays de la Loire extremely rewarding due to the region’s strong ties to the artist. In Amboise the château Clos Luce, where Da Vinci died is open to the public as both an interpretative centre for his work and memorial to the man himself.
For a more active way to explore choose a holiday cottage near La Loire à Vélo cycling route. This connection of back roads and cycling paths currently spans over 400km (250 miles) and there are plans to double that length and provide a safe, signposted cycling route from Cuffy to St Brévin-les-Pins.