Loire Valley

French Property Shop - Property in Loire Valley (Pays de la Loire)

Home Buyers Guide to Property for Sale in Loire Valley

Access

Ryanair: London Stansted, East Midlands, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Dublin & Shannon to Nantes. London Stansted and Dublin to Tours. London Stansted and Birmingham to Poitiers.

TGV from Lille/Paris to Tours/Poitiers. TER to all main towns

Good access via motorways from all Channel Ports including the A29 (Rouen/Le Mans/Tours) and A11 (Le Mans/Angers).

 
Geography

As a river, the Loire is the longest in France originating below Le Puy in the south and coursing north through Moulins and Nevers to Orleans,  down to Tours & Nantes, finally flowing out into the Atlantic at St. Nazaire. It is, however, more the area from Blois to Angers that is arguably the most attractive with its abundance of Renaissance Chateau. It is this area that is commonly referred to as "The Loire Valley".

It is a peaceful, moderate & gentle countryside and is often referred to as "The Garden of France" as its fertile land produces an abundance of crops, not least some fine wines from vineyards interspersed with the old hunting forests of Kings  & Noblemen. The general landscape is one of low undulating hills running down to plains beside the rivers, often planted with poplars and willows, whilst the area south of the Loire River becomes more of a patchwork of small fields.

There are many tributaries of the River Loire itself coming in from both north and south, including the Loir, Sarthe & Mayenne which with others provide some 350 miles of navigable waterways.

History

History plays an important role in this region which started to come into its own during the Hundred Years War especially after the then King went mad at Le Mans in 1392. A few years later, the Dauphine Charles installed his Court at Chinon. Joan of Arc arrived in Orleans only to be burnt to death a couple of years later. Then in the three hundred years from 1500 to the Revolution, Chateaux sprung up everywhere, either as defensive measures or for the supposed Nobility to "pose" in and show-off their skills in shooting defenceless animals.  Notwithstanding, what is now left are some of the most remarkable and impressive "Castles" in the world.

Attractions

Everything is here in the Loire Valley :

Rivers - both navigable and scenic, many offering canoeing trips
Recreational lakes with sandy beaches, offering swimming, sailing, water skiing, pedalos - ideal for children
More Chateaux than the mind can take in - chose from the pretty/the historical/architectural etc. etc.  The star Chateaux are undoubtedly Chenonceau, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chinon, Chambord & Villandry, the latter with probably the most stunning gardens in the whole of France "Le jardin du bonheur" 

Gastronomy

With so much food & fine wines produced here and with access to the Atlantic (fish restaurants) the area is a "Gastronaughts" delight.
Various marked "tourist routes" including many cycle routes from a few hours excursion along the river to the whole of the Loire Valley! There is also the "Route des Vignobles" & the "Route de Touraine" for wine buffs.
Everything is tourist friendly. Hotels and Campsites abound the area but caution in July and August when advance booking is recommended.

Climate

The average monthly climate is shown below in degrees centigrade:

                        High    Low

January                 8         3

February                9         3

March                   12        4

April                     14        6

May                     18         9

June                     22        12

July                       24        14

August                 24        14

September          22        12

October                17        9

November            12        5

December             9         3

The French property shop lists thousands of properties for sale around France with many in the Loire region.

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