| The Val de Loire region has always been at the heart of France's history, playing a key role in events that were to forge the future of the French nation. Travelling through this area and along both the Loire and its tributaries is tantamount to stepping back into the country's glorious past. Here kings and lords have built sumptuous châteaux to honour their family's name, surrounding them with extensive, flower-filled grounds. Here poets and writers have sought inspiration, producing some of the greatest texts in French literature. Religion too has left its mark on the landscape with the prestigious cathedrals of Chartres and Bourges. |
| A glowing tribute is paid to Mother Nature through many protected parks and gardens laid out along the loops of the River Loire: the Parc Naturel de la Brenne and its myriad ponds, Sologne and its woods peopled with game, Perche and its luxuriant glens and the Parc Naturel Loire-Anjou-Touraine with its curious troglodyte dwellings... |
| The cultural and historical diversity of this region is perfectly illustrated by the dazzling son-et-lumière shows organised on many of the royal estates. In the high season, as soon as night falls, imposing abbeys and châteaux and deserted village squares resonate with medieval or classical music during striking reconstructions, perpetuating perennial traditions or re-enacting dramatic episodes in local history. |
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