At Château de Villandry, in the Loire Vally, central France

 "The Loire Valley is grossly underestimated. The prices are fair, and the wines are real." — Gary Vaynerchuk

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(in central France) The Loire Valley (Val de Loire), spanning 280 kilometers (170 mi.), is located in both the administrative regions Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire. It is referred to as the Cradle of the French and the Garden of France -- due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke and asparagus fields that line the banks of the river. Notable for its historic towns, architecture, and wines, the valley has been inhabited since the Middle Palaeolithic period. In 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the Loire River valley to its list of World Heritage Sites.

+ If it is French splendour and gastronomy you seek, the Loire Valley will exceed your expectations. On the frontier between northern and southern France, and just a short train or autoroute ride from Paris, the region was once of immense strategic importance. Kings, queens, dukes, and nobles came here to establish feudal castles and, later on, sumptuous pleasure palaces -- which is why this fertile river valley is sprinkled with hundreds of France's most aristocratic estates. With crenellated towers, soaring cupolas, and glittering banquet halls, the region's châteaux, and the villages and vineyards that surround them, attest to more than a thousand years of rich architectural and artistic creativity. The Loire Valley is also known for its outstanding wines (red, white, rosé, and sparkling) -- and its lively, sophisticated cities, including Orléans, Blois, Tours, and Angers.

+ Loire, the longest river in France, rises in the southern Massif Central and flows north and west for 634 miles (1,020 km) to the Atlantic Ocean, which it enters south of the Bretagne (Brittany) peninsula. Its major tributary is the Allier, which joins the Loire at Le Bec d’Allier. Its drains an area of about 45,000 square miles (117,000 square km). This marvelous valley is dotted with châteaus. The river rises at about 1,370 meters above sea level, at the foot of the Gerbier de Jonc in the Cévennes near the Mediterranean coast. In its upper course it flows through a succession of down-faulted, flat-floored basins set in the highlands of the Massif Central; crossing them, its valley narrows to gorges. After being joined by the Allier, the greatly enlarged stream flows across the limestone platform of Berry, and its valley becomes but a slight groove.

+ The Loire Valley has always banked on its abundance of fine royal châteaux and lush landscapes to draw in travelers. Yet, it wasn’t until very recently (thanks to the initiative of hoteliers, creatives, and chefs) that the region sought to go beyond its historical marvels to establish new reasons to visit. That effort began in 2020, with the gastronomic and nature-inspired getaways offered at Loire Valley Lodges and Les Sources de Cheverny.

+ Shown here is Château de Villandry, in the Valley: