Loire Valley Map - Chateau Country in France
Travel Map of the Loire Valley Towns and Chateaux to Visit
The Loire Valley between the towns of Tours and Blois offers a fascinating landscape of vineyards, forests, gardens and stately chateaux. Although the Loire Valley is home to more than 300 chateaux, our Loire Valley Map shows the best of the chateaux between the towns of Tours and Bloise for folks on a tight schedule.
Loire Valley Map © James Martin
What is a Chateau?
A chateau (pl. chateaux) is a manor house, sometimes resembling a castle. Many chateaux were hunting lodges, or residences of important people. They were built between the 10th and 20th centuries, although many of the chateaux on the map were built around the Renaissance period.
Cities of the Loire Valley
Tours is a good city to stay in to discover the Loire Valley Chateaux, especially if you are arriving by train. It isn't the most scenic city, but it's central. There is an airport outside Tours called Tours VAl de Loire Airport offering flights to and from London, and the high-speed TGV train gets you from Paris to Tours in about an hour.
You can get lots of information about the Loire valley and the chateaux in Tours. Tours also has many museums, outlining the art and craft of the Loire Valley. The best deal is to get a museum pass from the tourist office in Tours (carte multi-visites), for a bargain museum experience.
Your hotel in Tours will be able to guide you toward bus tours of the Chateaux.
Blois is also a city that you may consider staying in and using for a base, and it has its own Renaissance chateau. There is a train station at Blois, and you can rent a car there.
Montrichard is an historic market town on the River Cher between Blois and Tours. Nearby cottages offer a chance to stay and live like a native.
Loire Valley Chateaux in a Nutshell
Chateau de Chenonceau has been described as the most beautiful of Chateaux. The Renaissance chateau stretches across the River Cher on piers. Chenonceau is one of the few Chateaus that you can view without a guide.
Chateau de Chambord was Commissioned as a hunting lodge by Francois I in 1519. It's the largest of the Loire châteaux with 440 rooms, and if it's second to Chenonceau in beauty, it's a darn close second.
Chateau de Chaumont is set on a cliff above the Loire, standing on the foundations of two previous fortresses dating from the 10th and 12th centuries. What to see: the Italian tiled floor in the Salle du Conseil, furniture from the 16th and 18th centuries and the impressive stables built by the Prince de Broglie.
Chateau de Amboise was home to French King Louis XI and his wife Charlotte of Savoy. What to see: the Gothic Chapel of St Hubert; are the remains of Leonardo de Vinci really buried in the north transept? Plus, the lavish Kings quarters, the Great Hall and the Tour des Minimes, a tower providing access to the chateau to carriages.
Chateau de Villandry features one of the best examples of Renaissance formal gardens in the Loire Valley.
Chateau de Beauregard features an interesting 16th century kitchen, but most come here to see the Picture Gallery containing 363 portraits of Royal family members and aristocracy.
Chateau de Cheverny is an opulent Renaissance styled chateau from the period of Louis XIII. The main draws here are the furnishings and the small hunting museum.
Wine in Loire Valley Chateau Country
The first traces of wine production in this part of the Loire started under Roman occupation. Most of the region is under the AOC Touraine wine region, covering 8,000 hectares in 146 comunes. Touraine Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorite summer wines, good with seafood.
Vouvray is made from Chenin Blanc grapes, known as pineau blanc in the Loire, and can be made into a sweet wine.
For more on the wines of this region, see Loire Valley Wine.
Loire Valley Tours
Some select tours of the Chateau country are found in our Loire Valley Tours Directory.
Continuing Your Journey
Heading toward the West Coast of France, you can head for Nantes, or continue on toward Bordeaux to coastal resort La Rochelle. You could also go north to Paris. The A10 Autoroute shown on the map goes north to Paris, southwest to Bordeaux. (Links go to travel guides for each city)
France Rail Passes
If you are traveling by train, a rail pass can save you money if you plan right. A variety of French Rail Passes (Check Prices) are available. Confused by all the rail passes? See How to Choose the Right Rail Pass.
More Information on the Loire Valley
See our Loire Valley Travel Guide directory for more information on the Loire and individual Chateau visitor information.
