Day 1

Departure from Tours or Amboise at 9 am

Driving tour along the Loire river - Photostop at Usse
In the fifteenth century, the ruined castle of Usse was purchased by Jean V de Bueil, a captain-general of Charles VII who became seigneur (lord) of Usse in 1456 and began rebuilding it in the 1460s. The tradition maintained at Ussé is that this was the castle Charles Perrault had in mind when writing "Sleeping Beauty".
Web site : http://www.chateaudusse.fr/
Entrance fees : 12€pp

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Candes Saint-Martin
We follow our visit with a walking tour at Candes Saint-Martin (one of the most beautiful village of France) A former fishing and inland water transport port that sprang up where the Rivers Vienne and Loire meet. Candes-Saint-Martin displays great contrast with its black slate roofs and its white tufa walls that adorn the
houses and the Collegiate Church of Saint-Martin.
Website : http://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org

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Lunch time at Fontevraud
La Licorne 31 Rue Robert d'Arbrissel 49590 Fontevraud-l'Abbaye - 02 41 51 72 49 (from 18€/menu)

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Abbey of Fontevraud
In the afternoon we will discover of the Royal Romanesque Abbey and one of the highlights will be the Plantagenet tombs of Henry II Plantaganet (d. 1189);
Eleanor of Aquitaine (d. 1204), Henry's queen; King Richard I ( Lionheart (d. 1199), their son; and Isabella of Angouleme (d. 1246), the wife of their youngest son, King John (d. 1216). However, there is no remaining corporal presence of Henry,
Eleanor, Richard or the others on the site.
Website : http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com
Entrance fees : 9€pp

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Beze
A mysterious castle under a castle
The chateau was transformed during the 16th and the 19th centuries. The current structure is Renaissance in style yet retains medieval elements including a drawbridge and a 12th century trogloditic basement. Today, it is the residence of descendants of the ancient lords. The chateau is a listed ancient monument originally dating from 1060. A range of wines are produced at the chateau which has 30 hectares of vineyards.
Entrance fees : 11€

Return to the hotel 6.30 pm

Day 2

Departure at 9 am

Royal City of Loches
Discovery of the Secrets of Loches : The keep (1000 years old), the royal district (castle and church), medieval and Renaissance streets. The town, one of the most picturesque in central France, lies at the foot of the rocky eminence on which stands the Chateau de Loches, the castle of the Anjou family, surrounded by an outer
wall 13 ft./4 m. thick, and consisting of the old collegiate church of St. Ours, the royal lodge and the dungeon.
Website : http://www.loches-tourainecotesud.com

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Lunch time : La Gerbe d’or www.restaurantlagerbedor.fr From 15€/menu

Chartreuse du Liget:
On the way to Montresor we will make a photo stop at la Chartreuse du Liget (a Benedictine covent) and at a medieval hospital & farm (Corroirie du Liget).
Website : http://www.corroirie.com
Entrance fees : 5€/pax

Chateau Montresor:
A treasure in a treasure : Here we will have a guided visit of the castle of Montresor (summer residence of the Kings of Poland and a property of the royal family.
From the start of the 15th century, with the court spending more and more time in Touraine, Montrésor became a centre for courtesans and royal servants. In 1493, Imbert de Batarnay bought Montresor to build an elegant residence in the feudal enclosure, of which only the main wing remains.
Website : http://www.chateaudemontresor.fr/
Entrance fees : 7€/pax

Return to the hotel 6.30 pm

Day 1

Departure from Tours or Amboise 9am

Castle of Chenonceau:
We start our tour with a morning visit of the castle of Chenonceau and optional walk along the Cher river (1h30hrs walking). Built on the river Cher, where the unique beauty of its architecture reflects in the water, Chenonceau is not only remarkable for its architecture and history but also for the fine quality of its collections as can be seen from the inside visit: Renaissance furniture, a vast ensemble of XVIth and XVIIth century tapestries and a great number of masterpieces by Le Primatice, Rubens, Tintoretto, Rigaud, Nattier, Van Loo to name a few.
Website : http://www.chenonceau.com
Entrance fees :10.50€/pax

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Lunch : An elegant lunch at the L’Orangerie (in the park of castle) 23,50 to 33€ **

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Chateau Cheverny
After lunch we will visit the XVIIth family castle Château de Cheverny, an original jewel among the more famous monuments that stretch along the Loire Valley. In fact, Renaissance style did not find its place in Cheverny, which is built in the purest Louis XIII classical style, distinguished by an extraordinarily symmetrical architecture.
Website : http://www.chateau-cheverny.com/
Entrance fees : 7.70€/pax and 12.20€ with Tintin exhibit

Chateau Chambord :
Follow us up the double spiral staircase, where two people can go up or down without ever meeting, and head to the royal apartments of François I and Louis XIV. The floor above immerses you in the world of royal hunts. Continue up to the terraces and you’ll find yourself surrounded by roofing and chimneys forming a fairytale village, as if suspended in the sky. Look down towards the grand canal and... beyond to the wild game reserve.
Website: http://www.chambord.org/Chambord-en-idm-1-n-Accueil.html
Entrance fees : 9,50€/pax

Return to the hotel 6.30 pm

Day 2

Departure Tours or Amboise 9 am

Troglodytes and tasting
We will start the day discovering

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Castle Langeais
The medieval Chateau de Langeais is a castle built on a promontory created by the small valley of the Roumer River at the opening to the Val de Loire. The tall fortified hall at the rear of the enclosure is thought to be among the earliest datable stone examples of a keep in Europe.
Entrance fees : 8,50€/pax

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Azay le Rideau:
The château of Azay-le-Rideau was built from 1515 to 1527, one of the earliest French Renaissance châteaux. Built on an island in the Indre River, its foundations rise straight out of the water.
Website : http://azay-le-rideau.monuments-nationaux.fr
Entrance fees : 8€pp

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Lunch time in a small regional restaurant close to the castle of Azay
15€/20€pp

Hampe de Boeuf, échalottes confites, pommes de terre grenaille
+ Gateau grand-mère et sa clémentine confite
or
Petit maquereau juste saisi, tatin d'endives à l'orange
+ Mousse au chocolat à la fève de Tonka

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Troglodytic Goupillieres Valley:
In the shadow of the castles of the Loire, we will take afternoon stroll through a rather unusual medieval village because here the Tourangeau peasants lived in troglodytic farms, creating their living environment made out of the local Tufa stone used for centuries in the construction of stately homes and castles of the Loire. As you can imagine, life was hard and people were in constant fear of war and brigands looting their food so to protect themselves the farmers dug a an underground refuge, which use some tricks that will astonish you! Not too dissimilar to the early christians in Cappadoccia in Turkey who built long underground tunnels to protect themselves from the Romans.
Website : http://www.troglodytedesgoupillieres.fr
Entrance fees : 6€pp

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Tasting of Loire Wines :
No visit to the Loire valley would be complete without a wine tasting at the end of the day 5€pp

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Return to the hotel 6.30pm

All tours include: Entrance, Wine Tasting and Lunch

Route 1: CHENONCEAU / AMBOISE / CLOS LUCE

Departures Wednesday & Saturday :

Arriving in the Loire Valley, you'll start your day visiting the chateau de Chenonceau. The "Chateau des Dames", bridge built across the Cher, is famous for the great women who lived in it (Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medicis...) and for the beauty of its Renaissance gardens.

Lunch at a wine specialist's in matured Loire Valley vintages. An Oeneologists, welcomes you to his caves, a former tuff stone quarries, for a tour followed by a tasting of Vouvray, Montlouis, Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil wines. To enrich your meal, the wines will be paired with a selection of meats and and cheeses selected by Rodolphe le Meunier, 2007 cheese refiners' world champion.

After lunch, you will tour the Royal Castle of Amboise, residence of Charles VII and Francois I. You will discover in this wonderful castle, perfect example of transition from Gothic to Renaissance, the Saint Hubert Chapel which shelters today the grave of Leonardo da Vinci. In order to make your tour thorough, we take you to meet the Genius in his Manor du Clos Luce, a few yards away from the Royal Castle.

 

Route 2: BLOIS / CHAMBORD / CHEVERNY

Departures Tuesday & Friday :

The tour begins with the guided visit of Royal Castle of Blois. The four wings of the castle courtyard (Medieval, Flamboyant Gothic, Renaissance, and Classical) offer a great survey of the architecture in the Loire Valley.

Drive to Cheverny. Lunch at local wine producer's, on his wines, cheeses and charcuterie. The "Cheverny" appellation produces elegant red wines from pinot noir and gamay as well as fruity white wines from chardonnay and sauvignon. You will enjoy this moment to taste a wine for real connoisseurs: the "Cour Cheverny Appellation", a stunning white wine made from a grape called Romorantin, imported by King Francois I into the Loire Valley.

You'll take a guided tour of the chateau of Cheverny, which has been owned by the same family since the 13th century. The Marquis Hurault de Vibraye has succeeded in giving warmth and life to his chateau. The chateau, which led to the creation of Moulinsart in the famous comic book Tintin, is also famous for the tradition of the horse-back hunt and its impressive pack of 100 dogs. You may have a chance to witness the spectacular daily event of "the dogs' soup".

Drive to the Estate of Chambord, a national game reserve as large as the town of Paris. The chateau de Chambord (guided tour) is a unique monument by its architecture and proportions. Leonardo da Vinci probably took part in the conception of the project. With more than 400 rooms and its double spiral staircase, Chambord is a highlight of the Loire Valley.

 

Route 3: AZAY LE RIDEAU / CHINON / VILLANDRY

Departures Monday & Thursday

Start the day with guided tour of the chateau of Azay le Rideau, one of the purest gems of Renaissance architecture in the Loire Valley. Positioned on an island on the Indre river, it still shines today thanks to the lightness and balance of its mullioned, pepper pots, dormers and above all its graceful staircase. You will have time to stroll around the English style garden, a jewel case of greenness for what is considered today as one of the most beautiful in Touraine.

Lunch at a family estate's vineyards. Cheeses, meats and organic wines. AOC Azay le Rideau.

Guided tour of medieval Chinon and castle, one of the most picturesque towns of the Loire Valley. You will meet Joan of Arc (you will walk where she she got off her horse in 1429 to meet King Charles VII) and Francois Rabelais (the greatest ambassador of Chinon wines and joie de vivre) and Richard the Lionheart.

Finally, a guided tour of one of the most spectacular medieval and Renaissance gardens of the Touraine, Villandry. Visit the Love Garden, Kitchen Garden, Aromatic and Medicine Plant Garden, Water Garden and the brand new Sun Garden). Its 15 acres and 1150 linden trees are not to be missed.