Loire Valley

The Loire Valley has been UNESCO World Heritage since 2000 over 280 km between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire — an "exceptional cultural landscape" recognised for the quality of its architectural and natural heritage. This valley forms the heart of cultural tourism in western France, with 42 major châteaux open to the public, including the most emblematic of the French Renaissance.

The headline châteaux make the region's worldwide reputation. Chambord (the largest, 426 rooms, double-helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, 5,440-hectare enclosed park), Chenonceau (the most visited after Versailles, the "ladies' château" spanning the Cher), Amboise (royal residence, Leonardo da Vinci's tomb in Saint-Hubert Chapel), Villandry (the most accomplished French formal gardens), Azay-le-Rideau (Renaissance gem framed by the Indre), Cheverny (preserved interiors, model for Captain Haddock's Marlinspike Hall in Tintin), Blois (residence of French kings), Chaumont-sur-Loire (International Garden Festival since 1992). Beyond the châteaux, the Clos Lucé in Amboise houses Leonardo da Vinci's last residence and his inventions reproduced full-scale in the park.

But the Loire Valley is also a major wine region and a cycle-tourism paradise. The vineyards extend across 70,000 hectares with 12 AOCs: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé to the east (Sauvignon Blanc), Vouvray and Montlouis around Tours (Chenin), Chinon and Bourgueil (Cabernet Franc), Saumur and Saumur-Champigny (sparkling wines, Cabernet), Muscadet and Anjou to the west. La Loire à Vélo is one of Europe's largest cycle-touring routes — 800 km of waymarked and secure paths between Cuffy (Cher) and Saint-Brévin-les-Pins (Loire estuary), passing all the UNESCO châteaux.