The Loire Valley, a World Heritage Site A feast for the eyes!

Welcome to an exceptional destination

The inclusion of the Val de Loire as a World Heritage Site highlights the wealth of landscapes to be discovered, marked by the creative alchemy of man and nature. This year, we are celebrating 25 years of this UNESCO listing!

Explore the Loire Valley

During your stay, admire the great châteaux of the Loire of the kings of France. Located on the immediate banks of the river, their silhouettes are inseparable from this privileged environment. Wander through the Loire towns, amid pretty tufa stone houses down to the quays. Previously dedicated to river trade, they are now home to traditional boats aboard which you’ll get to play freshwater sailor! Finally, set off to explore vineyards and gardens: here nature is generous, with flowers as well as grapes…

valdeloire-france.com

Traditional boat trip

GR®3: the wild Loire on foot

The Loire by bike

©Villages of Candes Saint Martin|ADT Touraine - J-Clavier

Towns and villages

The Loire Valley châteaux

Spotlights not to be missed

Picnic on the beaches of Nazelles-Négron and Candes-Saint-Martin, or set off to explore Île de la Métairie (La-Ville-aux-Dames) and Île de Bondésir (Montlouis-sur-Loire). At Amboise, the Ile d’Or can be discovered via a 7km hike: between royal lands and wild waters.

The Loire Valley in Touraine

Amboise, Rochecorbon, Tours, Langeais, Candes-Saint-Martin: from these pretty towns hugging the Loire, contemplate the panoramas of islands and sandbanks with changing contours.

In this valley of kings, everywhere stand prestigious monuments that tell the story of France: the royal castle of Amboise, the Clos Lucé, the castles of Azay-le-Rideau, Langeais, Ussé, of Villandry, the royal fortress of Chinon, not forgetting the château of Chenonceau!!

The Loire, its tributaries and the tuffeau hillsides also form an ideal backdrop for growing vines. Enter the troglodyte cellars of Touraine, where many a vintage rests until it’s time to taste the Vouvray, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Montlouis-sur-Loire, and other appellations of the Loire wines.

The Val de Loire Mission

From Sully-sur-Loire (Loiret) to Chalonnes-sur-Loire (Loire Atlantique), the Val de Loire Mission leads projects to understand and promote the heritage and landscapes of the Val de Loire.

On the agenda, in September 2025: the Grande Remontée!

Website

©Ile Simon Ville de Tours|ADT Touraine - JC Coutand

Loire Valley a whole story

The Loire landscapes are also open-air history books, but you still need a few keys to read them.

The Val de Loire Mission had the excellent idea of producing a series of video-documentaries on the river during the Renaissance. Development of towns (Tours, Orléans, Blois…) and landscapes, navigation, wars of religion. Here’s the first: enjoy your viewing!

AND ALSO: Podcast “a not-so-deserted island“, recorded from the Ile de la Calonnière.