Le Loire

There is nothing quiet about the grandeur of the Loire valley, it is jaw dropping, opened mouthed splendour and nothing could have prepared me for the joy I felt when I spied my first chateau upon leaving the motorway for the first time. The turrets, the size, the symmetry, the immaculate gardens surrounding the architectural brilliance, the Loire river lilting by, the sweet villages they all sit on the edge of. The Loire Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape site and, if it was good enough for the kings of France ….

Day 1

Either drive direct to, or catch the train via Tours to sublime Château de Chenonceau. Its setting surrounded by formal gardens and forests and stretching out across the river Cher is extraordinary and there is something for everyone within its grounds - teens and seemingly not as fussed wingmen included. Hire a row boat on the river, potter through the Diane de Poiters and Catherine de Medici gardens, discover the 16th Century farm, flower garden and potager, visit the Caves des Domes for a tasting and send the children to find the donkey park and conquer the Maze. Then wander through the Château which is truly a marvel - what fun, intriguing personalities Diane de Poitiers, who extended the chateau across the River Cher as a bridge to hunting grounds on the other side, and Catherine de Medici who created a ballroom upon the bridge, must have been. My personal highlight are the spectacular and ever changing floral displays in each room, they are truly incredible (look out for the Christmas floral arranging workshops and the floral studio by the cutting garden).

Château de Chenonceau has two lunch options, L’orangerie or the more relaxed cafe we have stopped at each time. Sit under umbrellas overlooking the gardens and chateau in summer, or inside the old royal stables in winter. Service is brisk and friendly and the food simple and delicious.

Mid afternoon head north west to Le Bar à vins de Lise et Bertrand at Domaine Jousset in Montlouis-sur-Loire for a tasting and light Apéro dinetois during their summer opening. Lise et Bertrand were both around when we arrived and are super friendly. The Domaine is organic and wines naturally made from mainly Chenin Blanc grapes, but with some Chardonnay and Gamay vines too.

Head back to Chenonceaux for an extraordinary end to your day, a sunset balloon flight over Château de Chenonceau. I was pretty wobbly with nerves until the Château came into view but floating over the spectacular Loire Valley, being waved to and waving back at locals enjoying the summer air in their garden, and finishing with champagne in a field of wildflowers as the sun disappeared, is a moment I shall not soon forget.

Day 2

Linger over breakfast at your hotel and decide upon one of two options for your morning - families head to the ZooParc de Beauval, foodies if your Day 2 is a Sunday, head to the famous Amboise market along the Loire. Browse the stalls, gather supplies and have a picnic lunch beside the Loire, then visit royal favourite Château d’Amboise sitting grandly above the Town.

If your tweens or teens don’t fancy the Zoo, grab some bikes and cycle through the forest, passed the small wooden hunters’ towers, villages, farms and vineyards and perhaps a château or two. Our teens love riding bikes in France, even though they seldom jump on two wheels at home, and last year happily spent a fun morning at the ZooParc which provided a little respite for them between château and cellar door visits. They particularly enjoyed riding the cable car across the Zoo.

Lunch at L'Auberge des Sources de Cheverny, La Botte d'Asperges in Contres or La Vieille Tour in Cellettes. Located in a small triangle with Cheverny at the centre, all restaurants use seasonal ingredients from surrounding producers and are fabulously delicious and friendly (make a reservation online).

After lunch, tour Château de Cheverny which has remarkably remained in the same family, the Huraults, for six centuries (although was briefly owned by Diane de Poiters along with Chenounceau, which she preferred). The de Vibraye family occupy a wing of the Château and open the other to the public, with its magnificent interiors and collection of furniture. Children will enjoy visiting the hounds in the kennels, timing themselves in the maze and viewing the Tintin exhibition, before a romp though the beautiful gardens and around the lake (mine indulged in two rounds of gelato on the rather warm day we visited). There is an orangerie within the grounds that was used during the Second World War as a safe haven for many works of art from the Louvre in Paris, including the Mona Lisa. 

An alternative chateau visit nearby is Château de Chambord, the largest and busiest of the Renaissance châteaux in the Loire, with extensive walking paths around the estate and through the formal gardens. We however, prefer the smaller scale of Chenonceau and Cheverny.

My best tip is to go slow, stop when you see a charming village and be a flâneur, have a cafe at the local Tabac, pull over and rent a kayak or join a river cruise if the whim strikes, taste the local vigneron’s wine, but do make sure you visit glorious Château Chenonceau.

stay

Les Sources de Cheverny, 23, route de Fougères – 41700 Cheverny

visit

Château de Chenonceau, 37150 Chenonceaux

Château de Cheverny, Avenue du Château - 41700 Cheverny

Château de Chambord, 41250 Chambord

Domaine Jousset, 36 rue des Bouvineries, 37270 Montlouis-sur-Loire

Domaine Le Portail, 41700 Cheverny

Marché d'Amboise, Pl. du Marché, 37400 Amboise

ZooParc de Beauval, Avenue du Blanc, 41110 St Aignan