Vacation Rentals in Loire

If you're looking for a vacation rental in the Loire Valley, you'll find it in the many large and small towns along the river. The cities of Orléans, Tours, Angers, Saumur and Nantes offer a particularly wide range of accommodation in all price ranges. If you want to combine a holiday by the sea with the unique culture of the region, you can pitch your tents in Saint-Nazaire directly on the Bay of Biscay.

If you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the big cities, a vacation rental in one of the countless picturesque villages along the Loire is ideal for you and your family. The modern holiday apartments in places such as Sully-sur-Loire, Châtillion-sur-Loire or Nevers not only guarantee maximum peace and quiet, they also offer more than enough space for holidays with dogs or larger groups.

In the Loire Valley, the different influences of French cuisine converge, so that the regional cooking style is regarded as the epitome of French. The valley is particularly known among gourmets for its mushrooms from the Toglodytic caves, game from the Sologne and fruit and vegetables from the Touraine. Specialities such as the giant mushrooms or the pork breast (rillettes) cooked in your own lard can be tasted in one of the countless rustic restaurants. The culinary offer is rounded off by a noble Loire wine.

Like almost no other region in Europe, the Loire Valley is characterised by its castles and fortresses. Among the 300 or so magnificent buildings from different eras are world-famous buildings such as the moated castles of Chambord, Blois, Chenonceau and Cheverney, which will make the heart of any history enthusiast beat faster. The latter served the draughtsman of Tintin and Struppi as a model for the castle Moulinsart.

Thanks to its mild climate, the Loire Valley is not called the "Garden of France" for nothing. Moderate rainfall throughout the year and warm Atlantic winds keep the heat away from the south, making the region an ideal destination for active holidaymakers, especially in the summer months of June to September. Those who are interested in the countless cultural monuments will also find optimal travel conditions in spring and autumn.

The best known events in the Loire Valley include the Printemps-de-Bourges Chanson Festival in April, Jeanne-d'Arc Day in May in Orléans, the A-la-Cour-du-Roy-François Music and Juggler Festival in summer in Amboise and the Mondial-du-Lion Horse Show in October in Le Lion-d'Angers.

If you want to explore the Loire Valley in peace and quiet, canoeing is the best way to do so, because from the river you can also discover the hidden sights that are hardly to be found in any travel guide. You will find a cosy chalet or a holiday apartment to spend the night in almost every village on the shore.

If you set up your tents on the upper reaches of the Loire, you should always hike to the source of the river at the foot of the Gerbier de Jonc mountain. It is also worthwhile to climb up to the nearby summit of the volcano mountain, which offers you a breathtaking view at 1,551 metres above sea level.

The Japanese Garden in Maulévrier is a completely different world to which you can immerse yourself. The 29-hectare site is home to over 300 plants, typical Japanese architecture and the Land of the Rising Sun.