In the village of Azay-le-Rideau, in the heart of the Loire Valley, central France

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

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(in the heart of the Loire Valley, south of Langeais and southwest of Tours) The village of Azay-le-Rideau is mostly visited for the Chateau of Azay-le-Rideau and the Chateau of l'Islette, but the village itself, although small, is also pleasant to explore while you are here. The village of Azay-le-Rideau contains several sites of interest and a pedestrian area with cafes and shops and is quite a nice place to pass some relaxing hour after visiting the castle. The Azay-le-Rideau tourist office is found in a small square a short distance west of the Place de la Republique, and should be your first destination because they have a useful leaflet with a "Walk of Discovery" guide through the village; except for the castle and the church, many of the places of interest would be rather hard to find along the narrow streets, without relying on the (included) map to guide you!

+ When you arrive you will see parking available in the center of the village (in the Place de la Republique) but it can often prove to be full -- and you will need, as an alternative, to use the visitor's car park a(bout 300 meters east of the village).

+ The original Azay-le-Rideau village developed in the 11th century around the castle and a priory that was next to the castle. Much of the historic center of Azay-le-Rideau was destroyed in 1418 because the villagers were supporting the Burgundians, and was not a rich center in the 16th century (unlike nearby Chinon) so the architecture in the village is more modest and often more recent than the well preserved historic centers you find in other historic villages.The center of Azay-le-Rideau is mostly along rue Balzac (the road between the castle and the Place de la Republique) and the adjacent roads such as Rue Gambetta, the Impasse Philippeaux, and Rue Rabelais. Another road with interesting historic buildings is the Rue de l'Abreuvoir, to the west of the center, with a watermill at the southern end and a mix of Renaissance and 19th century buildings.

+ The most important historic monument in the village is the Church of Saint-Symphorien, which is all that remains of the original priory around which Azay-le-Rideau developed -- and the small square in front of the church was where markets were held in medieval times.

+ The Chateau of Azay-le-Rideau (shown here) is one of the most visited castles in the Loire valley, and in the center of the village on the Indre river. It is a very beautiful Renaissance style chateau in a lovely location surrrounded on three sides by water. The castle was built in the 16th century incorporating French, Italian and Flemish influences and was further enhanced in the 17th and 19th centuries. Inside the castle you can see a few rooms furnished in the period style as well as a grand staircase.