Loire Valley Sites

The beautiful Loire Valley of France is filled with many interesting sites including chateaux, troglodyte dwellings, wineries, charming villages, ruins and much more. We were in the Loire Valley just a few weeks ago, and thankfully arrived home just one day before the travel ban went into place.

We started our adventure in the city of Angers, located at the west end of the valley. This lovely city has much to offer, but the highlight for us was Chateau d’Angers. This huge fortress overlooks the River Maine and has seventeen towers.

There is much to see once inside the fortress; we were mostly interested in the famous tapestries. There are many throughout the structure, including the Apocalyptic Tapestries detailing the Book of Revelation.

Chateau de Chenonceau is another impressive chateau to visit. Built over the River Cher, construction on the current building started in 1514 and has an interesting history. The chateau, kitchens, gardens, carriage gallery, donkey park and other sites are all very impressive.

Royal Chateau de Blois is another beautiful site to see. Built beginning in 1214 this ornate chateau is in a lovely location that has a nice view of Blois and the Loire river.

We saw many troglodyte dwellings during our visit. Many of these homes have been modernized and are still is use today.

Le Bousquet, a restaurant in the valley in an old wine cave will make you feel like you are in a troglodyte dwelling. The English speaking owner is very friendly and the food is fabulous.

As we drove through the valley we saw many beautiful sites.

If you plan to visit the Loire Valley, be sure to rent a car since many of the small villages are not accessible by train or bus. I suggest allowing several weeks for your visit. We were there for six days and just barely scratched the surface.

Have you visited the Loire Valley? If so, please leave a comment with your favorite sites.

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other blogs on France.

A Week in Provence

Lyon, France

The Beautiful City of Nice, France

J’adore la france!

Wishing you grand adventures!