Loire Valley – Tourist Information (Updated for 2026)

The largest city in the valley and the most convenient base for those arriving by train: organized tours to the castles depart from here, and the city itself has an old town with a square called Plomberal and an indoor market. The article has hotels for every budget and vacation apartments for families.

The base I recommend for those arriving without a car: the royal castle at the end of the main street, Clos Lousse a ten-minute walk away, and the train from Paris stops here. In the article, I compiled mansions in the city center, castles in the surrounding area, and also vacation apartments for families and couples.

Blois sits exactly halfway between Chambord and Chenonceau, so it's the perfect base for those who come primarily for the castles. The city is small and pleasant, and the prices are lower than in Tours.

The closest city to Paris, only about an hour by train, and therefore the right choice for those combining the valley with a Parisian trip. The city itself is forever associated with the name of Joan of Arc, who liberated it from siege in 1429.

In the Loire Valley, it's not a fantasy and not necessarily more expensive than a good hotel: dozens of private castles have been transformed into boutique hotels with private parks. In this article, I've compiled my recommendations, from the modest to the truly luxurious.

A modular itinerary from Paris to the valley and back, which can be shortened to three days or extended to a full week. It combines large castles with small towns and free time, and indicates for each day what to book in advance and what can be left for the moment.

The largest and most ostentatious of them all, built by François I as a hunting lodge that he hardly ever lived in. The double staircase is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, and the park around it is almost as large as Paris within the walls.

The castle, built on a bridge over the Cher River, and the place where Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitiers fought their famous battle, is called the Women's Castle, and rightly so: everyone who designed it was a woman.

The royal castle overlooking the river, where Charles VIII died in 1498 from a head injury on a low lintel. In the chapel next to it, according to tradition, Leonardo da Vinci is buried, who spent his last years in nearby Cala Llose.

Four wings from four different periods around one courtyard, from the Middle Ages to Classicism. It is also where Henry III ordered the murder of the Duke of Guise in 1588, and the guide explains in which room exactly this happened.

Turrets, landscaped gardens, and a surrounding forest: this is the castle that, according to tradition, inspired Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty. Less crowded than the larger castles, and popular with children.

A technological amusement park near Poitiers, based on giant screens, virtual reality, and installations that combine films with movement. Suitable for older children and adults, and easy to combine with a trip south.

Not an ordinary amusement park, but a series of historical shows on a huge scale: knights, Vikings, a Roman arena, and a night show with thousands of participants. You don't need to know French to enjoy it.

Why were all these castles built here? The article traces the path from the Hundred Years' War, when the valley was a refuge for the royal court, through the Renaissance to the religious murders of the Wars of Religion.

The Duchess who became Queen of France twice, and the woman who brought Brittany into France. She lived and died in the castles of the valley, and without her story it is difficult to understand the politics behind the stones.

Louise of Lorraine was widowed at the age of 36 when her husband Henry III was assassinated, and she spent the rest of her life in a room painted black in the Château de Chenonceau. The room can still be seen today, and the story behind it is particularly difficult.

In the article, I divided the recommendations between the historic center around the fortress and the cathedral, which is most convenient for walking, and vacation apartments and guesthouses in the surrounding villages, which are suitable for those coming with a car.

A black fortress with 17 towers in the heart of the city, and inside it the real treasure: the 14th-century Apocalypse Tapestry, about a hundred meters of tapestry that miraculously survived. The article was written by Haya Bar.

The tallest castle in France, seven stories high, and still in the hands of the same family for centuries. It has a private theater, a vast park, and a reasonable chance of meeting the Duke himself strolling through the garden.

The largest monastic complex in Europe, where Richard the Lionheart, his father Henry II, and Eleanor of Aquitaine are buried. After the Revolution, it became a guarded prison for a hundred and fifty years, and the scars of these two lives are still visible there.

A town built on hewn tufa caves, which today serve as wine cellars and even restaurants. This is where some of the best Anjou wines come from, and visiting them is a completely different experience than a regular winery.

Rent a houseboat for a week and cruise at three kilometers per hour between locks and villages. I did it, and it was one of my quiet and joyful experiences in France. No boating license needed.

A private castle in the north of the region, with gardens descending to the Petite Loire River (not to be confused, it's a different river). The article is also a story about what happens when you arrive at a French castle a minute after closing.