Family trip to the Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Limousin and Champagne region

This trip is a continuation of the trip I took with my family. From Paris to NormandyIn this part of the trip we continued south towards the Loire Valley and then Bordeaux. From there we began to head back towards the City of Lights and passed through Limousin, famous for its porcelain, and the Champagne region.

Route map

Saumur Saumur

The city is located between the Loire and Toue rivers, and is surrounded by vineyards from which local wines known for their quality are produced.

the snail

Address: 30 Rue Du Marechal Leclerc
Simply excellent restaurant! Inexpensive, quiet and amazing food. They have solutions for those who don't eat seafood, pigs and friends (they changed the dishes for us, I'm sure you will too). We enjoyed every moment. In the dessert section I would recommend the chocolate soufflé and the pineapple (the almond and pear dessert didn't have that much flavor and the ice cream was nice, but I've never been enthusiastic about ice cream in restaurants). If you are a wine lover I recommend a local wine, Saumur is very famous for their wine, and they are the only ones who produce a sparkling red wine (not rosé) it is called Mousseux Rouge.

Mushroom Museum

Address: Route de Gennes St Hilaire St Florent

Wow! During my studies at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, in every class of Chef Popper we heard about the Mushroom Museum in Saumur, every class. I knew I would definitely visit there. I really love mushrooms, but beyond that I never thought about how they are actually grown (the museum is also partly a mushroom farm). The (self-guided) tour of the caves was fascinating, the signs are also written in English and we learned a lot. My family enjoyed it a lot and my father never stopped talking about it. Pay attention to the direction of the arrow, because we were so excited we didn't notice, and it turns out there is a reason for the direction of the walk (: Fun, fun fun!

Pierre et Lumiere

Address: Route de Gennes St Hilaire St Florent

We bought a combined ticket for both museums (this museum is up the street, a minute's walk - it is recommended not to walk because there is no sidewalk and there is car traffic). The museum opened in 2000, and the artist carved the stone for about two years. Here too, you will tour inside caves Where there are miniature works of famous buildings in Saumur and the region. The tour took us about 20-30 minutes and was very nice and interesting. If you go to the mushroom museum, you have no reason not to go to Pierre and Lumiere. 13 euros for both museums for an adult.

Chenonceau Castle

Built on a site near the Cher River where an old mill used to stand. The first castle was built on the site before its first written mention in the 11th century. It belonged to King Francis I (and many others after him), and during World War I it was used as a military hospital. But I didn't come to tell you about The history of the place (:

It took us about an hour and a half to get to the castle. The gardens are lovely and the place itself is completely magical. Chenonceau is one of many castles in the Saumur region (as is typical of the Loire valley). I recommend stocking up on water and sandwiches (the price is minimal there, you are the owners of the place). We really enjoyed taking pictures there and looking at the flowing rivers. You definitely feel like you are part of a fairy tale there.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux Known worldwide as the “wine capital”, Bordeaux is considered a city of art and history. It has over 300 buildings and sites, some dating back to Roman times. We stayed in the area for three days and enjoyed every moment. We went on a winery tour at one of the Chateau (castles, most of which produce wine) in the Medoc region. The hotel made the reservation for us the day before. We walked around the city center and just did some shopping.

Chateau Grattequina

Address: 50 Avenue de Labarde, 33290 Blanquefort
I think the main part of our experience came from the amazing hotel we stayed at, which was also a Chateau in the past. It is located on the banks of the river, next to grass and a cornfield. If you want, you can simply take the bikes that are left at the entrance and take a walk around the area. There is also an outdoor pool (not heated) and a very nice breakfast. We sat on the loungers in front of the river, took a bike ride and sat with a cup of tea on the balcony. Without a doubt, one of the experiences from Bordeaux. In short, don't miss out on Bordeaux: a visit to the winery, the city center, Saint-Emilion (an ancient city from the 2nd century. It was simply lovely. We enjoyed every moment there). And the Medoc region. Ask the hotel for recommendations for the winery and maybe they can also book you a visit. Must eat: Canele and wine of course. They have a famous dessert wine, Sauternes.

Limoges

It is the capital of the Limousin region in central France. FranceThe city is famous for its porcelain industry, stained glass art, and its fine oak barrels, which are mainly used to store cognac. We traveled to Limoges specifically to visit the town of success: the world-famous Michelin restaurants and the most prestigious hotels work with the factories in Limoges.

Bernardo (bernardaud)

Address: 27 Avenue Albert Thomas, Limoges

We visited this porcelain factory. The tour was in French and I translated it for my parents, there are also boards with explanations in English and a video with the work process. It was fascinating, but very long (but that depends on the guide). We understood why porcelain is so expensive, and why it is so good.

Champagne region

Did you know that Champagne is prohibited from advertising that water is nature's champagne? Only champagne produced in the Champagne region can be called champagne, According to the lawA visit to Champagne is a must for food lovers and wine lovers. And the truth is, my family enjoyed it too (:

Mercier

Address: 70 avenue de champagne

There are of course many places to visit in Champagne that produce champagne. In my opinion, Mercier is without a doubt the most innovative. The tour has simultaneous translation and takes place on a train traveling through tunnels. The factory has existed since 1858 and the champagne is excellent! The story itself is fascinating. You don't see much of the production process itself and what happens during the fermentation process, but everything is explained simultaneously as you travel. The tour fee is based on how many glasses of champagne you want to taste, we chose one glass. But I left with two bottles (:

End of the trip and final tips

From the Champagne region we drove to Paris and returned the car in Montparnasse. It was a lovely trip and we really enjoyed it. If you are looking for more information, don't miss the following links:

Loire Valley in France (castles, itinerary and interactive map) – There you can find castles, attractions, and even a week-long hiking route in the Loire Valley.

attractions in paris – Are you back in Paris and have a few extra days before your flight? Go here and read about some of the most interesting places in the City of Lights.

Paris map – If you want to find all the attractions, restaurants and hotels of the City of Lights in one place, this is the map for you.