The Lovely Loire Valley

Montsoreau, Loire Valley

Many people head to France to see the glittering sights of Paris, laze around on the French Riviera, spend a week (or a year) in Provence, or ski down the French Alps.  I'm here to tell you that the Loire Valley (or Val de Loire), the lesser-known cousin of these other regions, is also well worth visiting. I was lucky enough to spend five days with my wonderful friends Adam and Manue Parr, in the Loire, en route to Ballymaloe Cookery School. The Parrs have a gorgeous house in a little village called Montsoreau, which has been named one of France's most beautiful. It really is quite breathtaking.

Overlooking the Loire River, the village is home to the Château de Montsoreau, a Renaissance Gothic castle which is now a museum of contemporary art. There are gorgeous cafés, a boulangerie, bars and hotels. One of the most interesting aspects of Montsoreau is the number of troglodyte caves. These are dwellings built into limestone cliffs, and for hundreds of years were the houses of local people. Today the troglodytes are wine cellars, museums and restaurants, as well as houses. The architecture in the region is most interesting, and the local limestone (tuffeau) features prominently.

Me and Manue at Château de Montsoreau; a Montsoreau troglodyte

In general, the Loire Valley is probably best known for its fascinating royal heritage and majestic castles and châteaux. However it is also regarded as the 'garden of France', with incredible food and flowers grown, and wine produced, throughout the region. The Loire is the third-largest vine-growing region in France, and the wines of the Loire would be a whole other blog post. Many places along the Loire River have been designated World Heritage Sites.

In my short stay in Montsoreau, we fitted in visits to the nearby gorgeous towns of Candes-Saint-Martin, Chinon (we went to the Thursday fresh food markets), Chouźe-sur-Loire, Saumur, Azay-le-Rideau, and Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, home to the incredible Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud. Here, the King of England Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and their son, King Richard the Lionheart, were all buried at the end of the 12th century. On the edge of the forest of Chinon is Château d'Usse, which inspired the French writer Charles Peraullt to write the fairytale Sleeping Beauty.

Not sleeping at the Chateau d'Usse (sleeping beauty castle); Fontevraud-l'Abbaye

My fabulous hosts and I spent time biking along the Loire, riding through troglodyte caves, going on long walks and drinking coffees in sweet little cafes. 

The Loire Valley is right in the centre of France. I took a TGV train there from Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris) and arrived at Saint-Pierre-des-Corps in under two hours. From there it was a 45 minute car trip to Montsoreau. I could have taken a second train into the town of Saumur and been just 15 minutes from Montsoreau.

I love the Loire Valley!