While you're enjoying re-energizing, inspiring getaways in south Touraine, don't forget that the Loire Valley's internationally-renowned key attractions and castles are on your doorstep.
Beauval ranks as one of the world's top 5 finest zoos. It's home to over 10,000 animals from across the globe. Here, you can discover rare species like giant pandas. The equatorial dome, a gigantic greenhouse, overflows with lush vegetation.
Buy your entrance tickets in our Tourism boards
Château de Chenonceau, a Renaissance masterpiece and the world's only bridge-castle, is majestically reflected in the water of the River Cher. The rooms of this "ladies' castle" are decorated all year round with superb floral compositions imagined by a Meilleur Ouvrier de France. Breathtaking views of the castle can be enjoyed from the gardens overlooking the river.
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Chateau d'Amboise, former residence of the kings of France, was home to Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I. You can visit the royal apartments, the chapel where Leonardo da Vinci is laid to rest and the terraces offering a panoramic vista over the Loire. The town is also home to Château du Clos Lucé, situated just a stone's throw away, where Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked, as well as Château Gaillard, famed for its Italian-style gardens.
Buy your entrance tickets online: CHÂTEAU D'AMBOISE / LE CLOS LUCÉ
In the western part of Touraine, AOC Chinon (CDO) vineyards surround the castles. The one encircling Azay-le-Rideau, a Renaissance masterpiece built on an island, is reflected in the water of the Indre. In Chinon, you'll be impressed by the glorious past of the Plantagenets in this fortress that reigns over the Vienne Valley.
Buy your entrance tickets online: CHÂTEAU D'AZAY-LE-R. / FORTERESSE DE CHINON
Château de Langeais has been towering high over the royal river for centuries now. Take part in the marriage of Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII, a marriage that brought together the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Brittany. In Bourgueil, roam through Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil appellation vineyards. Passionate winemakers invite you to taste their production (with moderation).
The capital of Touraine is also labelled a "Town of Art and History" where you can delight in strolling around charming shops, heritage sites, museums, parks and taking time out at a "guinguette" (open-air café) along the banks of the Loire. Iconic Château de Villandry, whose formal French-style gardens are reputed around the world is just a short distance away.
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Thanks to its hundreds of water bodies, La Brenne Regional Nature Park is a haven of peace for thousands of birds. It's also a paradise for hikers pursuing peaceful natural surroundings and for photo enthusiasts.
Chambord, built in the 16th century during the reign of Francis I as a hunting lodge, is the largest Renaissance castle in the Loire Valley. Its forest land covers the same surface area as the City of Paris.
Buy your entrance tickets in our Tourism boards
The Royal Château de Blois epitomizes the architecture of Loire castles with its four façades spanning different periods. The castle also hosts a museum and invites to delight in video mapping shows in its main courtyard during the summer.
Buy your entrance tickets in our Tourism boards
Fontevraud, the largest monastic heritage in Europe, has preserved 3 of the 4 monasteries founded back in the 11th century. After the French Revolution, the site became a terrible prison. It was turned into a cultural centre in the 1970s and, since 2021, has also hosted a modern art museum.
Saumur, dominated by its medieval castle, topped by a gigantic golden fleur-de-lys, invites to enjoy a wealth of discoveries from the Cadre Noir equestrian world to troglodyte sites and vineyards.
Futuroscope Xperiences, an innovation-focused theme park, is an extraordinary space where the real and the imaginary join as one. The medieval town of Poitiers also invites to venture back through time in Eleanor of Aquitaine's footsteps.
