The Loire Valley is famous for its wine and its chateaux (castles), large and small. We are staying in the most unique B&B to date; a smaller chateau in the country built in the 1400s. The current owners purchased it 6 years ago and renovated the property, maintaining the original façade, but fully modernizing the interior into luxury guest rooms.
This was our room from the courtyard !
Our room is the former boulangerie (bakery). The bread oven is part of the décor and charm of the room.
We visited three larger chateaux. The first was in Villandry. It was built during the Renaissance period in 1536. The rooms of the Chateau are decorated with furnishings and paintings from the Renaissance to early 1900s. The current owner lives in a part of the chateau.
The gardens are spectacular. Over 15 acres of various geometrical sculpted gardens surround the castle. The gardens include the Ornamental Garden, the Water Garden, the Sun Garden, the Woods, the Maze, the Herb Garden, and the Vegetable Garden. From the top of the Chateau, you get great views of the gardens below.
In Chinon, we visited the Forteresse Royale. Built in the 10th century, it was the site of two significant events in French history. The Grand Master and some high dignitaries from the Knights Templar were imprisoned here before being sentenced and burned in Paris. Also, in 1429, Joan of Arc came to the Chateau to meet with Charles VII to assure him of his legitimacy and she urged him to get crowned in Reims. This was a turning point in the Hundred Years? War.
The third chateau we visited (but didn’t enter) was in Samur. It was rebuilt in 12th century after the original was destroyed. The chateau sits high upon a hill overlooking where the meeting of the Loire and Thouet Rivers meet.
On our final day in the Loire Valley, we booked a wine tour; so glad we did. We visited three very different wineries for tastings (14 tastings in total :-). The first one produces enough to do some exporting (Chateau de Targé); it exports to Alberta, the second (Clos des Cordeliers) has grapes in two different terroirs, so each is distinct, and the third (Chateau La Trochoire) was a very small winery with a limited production of white. We ventured into the caves to see how wine used to be made and how it is done now. All were very unique and interesting.
Wine storage in caves below the vinyards !!
