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The Garden of France, Playground of the French Kings, Heart & Soul of Historic France!
Why visit France's Loire Valley?
An epicurean heaven, Henry James described the Loire as "the land of Rabelais, of Descartes, of Balzac as well as good dinners and good houses" in A Little Tour in France. By dinners, he was no doubt referring to the Loire Valley region's superlative traditional gourmet and bistro food and elegant Touraine wine. There is still an abundance of good things: fish from the Loire, game from acres of Loire Valley forests, excellent charcuterie from Tours and famed goat cheeses from Chavignol and Saint-Maure-en-Touraine.
The sweetness of life in the Loire Valley has long been renowned. As proof, there have been royal residences and influential Kings in the Loire Valley since the Middle Ages. Charles VII who accorded an army to Joan of Arc in order to expell the English from France spent much of his childhood at Blois Castle. Charles VIII who lived at Amboise Castle, and his cousin, Louis XII who lived at Blois Castle, both married Anne of Brittany, the only woman to be crowned twice Queen of France, in an attempt to annex the Duchy of Brittany into the French Kingdom. Francis I who resided at Blois and Amboise Castles, and hunted at Chambord and Chenonceau Castles officially introduced the Italian Renaissance in France. He brought back many artists and artisans from his Italian campaigns who would transform France's mediaeval landscape into a vibrantly colored tableau of sculpture and exquisite art accompanied by the introduction of elaborate musical entertainment and parties in place of war. Henri II lived at Blois, and raised his family and future Queen Mary Stuart in the Loire Valley, and initiated the campaign to end fighting between the Catholics and Protestants prior to being blungeoned to death during a jausting contest. The first of the Bourbon King's, Henri IV signed the Edict of Nantes in the Loire Valley ending the Wars of Religion. Louis XIII gifted many of the Loire Valley Castles to his brother Gaston d'Orleans, including Blois and Chambord Castles, in order to squelsh his brother's assassination plots against him. Louis XIV took up residence in the Loire Valley at Chambord Castle for a short time in an attempt to flee angry mobs of starving country folk in Paris to preserve the French Monarchy's existence, and invited personalities, such as, Moliere and composer Jean-Baptiste Lully to perform at Chambord Castle.
Whether you choose to join one of our spring, summer or fall tours, our fully escorted, small group, Loire Valley Tours offer you, as our guest, an opportunity to discover the cultural wealth of the Loire Valley, its' spectacular history and the exquisite art and architecture of the Loire Valley Castles in combination with fun activities and excursions that reflect this majestic region and that are not available to the general public.
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--Professional Off the Beaten Path, LLC History Tour Guide/Leader
--Wine & Culinary Expert
--5 Nights, Deluxe Historical Castle Accommodations at Chateau des Tertres
--2 Evening Culinary Classes
--Wine Tasting Dinner Workshop
--Blois & Amboise Markets
--Buffet Breakfasts Daily
--Gourmet Dinners with Grand Cru Wines
--Expert Commentated Tours of Loire Valley Castles
--Tour Chambord Castle
--Tour Chenonceau Castle
--Tour Cheverny Castle
--Tour Blois Castle
--Tour Amboise Castle
--Tour Villandry Castle
--Tour Langeais Castle
--Tour Azay-le-Rideau Castle
--Leonardo Da Vinci's Clos Luce
--Tour Chaumont-sur-Loire Castle
--Visit the International Garden Festival
--Sunset Hot Air Ballooning over the Loire Valley Castles
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Special Interest
Loire Valley Culture & History, Culinary Experiences, Fine Wine & Cuisine, Hot Air Ballooning, French Castles, Couples Tours, Singles Travel, Small Group Travel Tours, History & Art, Historical Castle Hotel Accommodations, Loire Valley Cheese & Wine Tasting
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