Loire Valley Discovery

From May 8th & September 25th, 2011

Active & Intimate Loire Valley

Introduction:

Discover the Loire Valley from many different angles; walking to a lost troglodyte village, canoeing under the Chateau de Chenonceau, biking in the hunting forests of François I at Chambord!

Experience the secrets of the Loire Valley within your small group of no more than 8 passengers. Your guide Morgane, will share her knowledge in local monuments and her love of food!

Day 1 (D):

TGV train from Paris to Tours (1 hour). Meet Morgane, your driver-guide for your vacation in the Loire Valley. She will be your driver (with a 9-passenger minivan) and your guide (a professional guide for monuments and a food lover!). She will coordinate the entire stay.

Transfer to your charming hotel in the heart of Amboise (30 min).

Get settled into your home for the next 3 nights, a private hotel that was built in the 16th century for a clergyman of the Royal Court. Its park includes many rare species, in particular two unique centennial magnolias, a huge sycamore and, sitting imposingly and overlooking the park, a Lebanon cedar that witnessed, without a doubt, the French Revolution of 1789.

Lunch at leisure. Afterwards discover Amboise with Morgane during your afternoon walking tour, including the visit of the Royal Château of Amboise, an emblematic monument with its landscaped gardens that offer one of the most remarkable panoramas of the Loire valley.

In the afternoon get set up on your bikes and then have some free time before dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2 (L):

After breakfast, transfer to Blois. See the outside of the Blois chateau and then ride out from the city. Today’s ride is a circular bike loop through the forests of the kings of France to Chambord and through small typical villages of the Sologne, surrounded by regional crops like sunflowers (around 30km). Possibility to extend today’s ride to Cheverny.

Let Morgane introduce you to the history of Chambord, a truly magical chateau. Chambord, an extravagant Château in every way and masterpiece of the French Renaissance with its double spiral staircase, which two people can go up or down without ever meeting. Continue up to the terraces and you’ll find yourself surrounded by roofing and chimneys forming a fairytale village, as if suspended in the sky.

Picnic lunch on the grounds of Chambord.

Late afternoon transfer back to Amboise. Dinner on your own.

Day 3 (D):

Off to Amboise and the Manoir du Clos Lucé, one of the jewels of the Renaissance. It is one of two chateau to have been built of both brick and tufa stone, extracted from the region's quarries. It is also one of the most furnished residences in the Val de Loire.

Lunch at leisure at the Renaissance restaurant of the Clos Lucé. Discover an authentic cuisine (in a large caldron) all of this in an even larger kitchen chimney!

After lunch, you’re off on a ride through the Amboise forest with little picturesque hamlets and old farms to the Cher River (15 km).

From your bike to your canoe, and down the Cher River for a wonderful canoe trip downriver (7 km, about 2 hours with 1 lock) and under the Chateau of Chenonceau with of course a tour of Chenonceau!

Built on the river Cher, where the unique beauty of its architecture reflects in the water, the Château de Chenonceau is the Val de Loire’s finial. The lovely surroundings, the formal garden and the park surrounding it add to the impression of delicate grace emanating from the castle.

Enjoy an early evening barbecue along the Cher river before heading back to Amboise.

Day 4 (D):

Check out from your hotel in Amboise. After a short transfer (45 min) you’re in the heart of France’s terroir! From cheese to wine, a day to discover.

Start your day with the AOC Sainte-Maure de Touraine cheese, and a visit to one of its 75 farms…and then you’re off on a ride that goes from valleys to the Vienne River all the way into wine country to Chinon (about 35 km).

During your ride discover one of the most beautiful villages in France, Crissay sur Manse, near the unknown Vallée de Courtineau. You are in postcard country! This old castellany, part of the archbishopric of Tours, with its 16th century church, has conserved the ruins of its 15th century chateau.

Lunch at leisure in one of several villages along the way.

The Chateau de Ligre welcomes us for a visit of its vineyard in Chinon. The Chateau de Ligre was built in XIX century and praised by the famous French writer Rabelais.

Since1971 this domain belongs to keen wine maker Pierre Ferrand, who will share with you his love to Chinon wines.

Short transfer to your new home for the next 3 nights. A place of History with the remnants of a 13th century chapel, a mill and a tithe barn.

A family farm for over 200 years with French country hospitality. The family works its farm, hand-milking its cows, making natural soaps and home cooking! Great home-grown food and pride make for a wonderful experience.

Big, rustic-style rooms are furnished with lovely family antiques. A sense of timelessness welcomes the guest to this family-run chambres d'hôtes. Dinner in tonight!

Day 5 (L, D):

After a large breakfast, and a short drive South of Saumur, meet your walking guide for the day. A member of a local walking club your guide opens the door to a wonderful walk (8 km) to a small inhabited troglodyte village. Discover fouées (locally made bread) before a picnic with your guide.
This afternoon meet Rudolf who has been making chocolates for the past 25 years in his small workshop. He will open his door to you and share in his experience making "Grappillous" and "Douceurs Angevines", his trademarked originals!

Late afternoon walking tour of Saumur and its chateau which stands high above the town. The architectural character of the town owes much to the fact that it is constructed almost exclusively of the beautiful, but fragile, stone known as Tuffeau.

Enjoy a full home-cooked family meal back at your B&B.

Day 6 (D):

Short morning ride around your B&B to the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud. 
The abbey was a double monastery, with both monks and nuns on the same site. Robert of Arbrissel declared that the leader of the order should always be a woman. This was the start of a position that attracted many rich and noble abbesses over the years, including members of the French Bourbon royal family.

Lunch at leisure in one of several villages along the way.

Transfer just outside of Tours visit the 16th century Chateau de Valmer with its internationally acclaimed garden and its 24.5 hectares of AOC Vouvray wines. Aymar and Alix de Saint Venant each take care of their part of the château. Aymar the vineyard and Alix the gardens.
The gardens have figured in many different TV and magazine reportages in France, Italy, Russia, Germany…

Picnic dinner at the Chateau this evening for your last night in the Loire Valley.

You could finish off your stay this evening with an optional hot air balloon ride! Watch your balloon grow as Morgane breaks out the baguettes, local cheeses, a salad and wine for dinner before your hot air balloon flight. Take off at 7:30 pm from either for a 3 hour flight! (Depending upon the weather flight could be from either the Chateau de Valmer, Chenonceau or Amboise).

Day 7:

End of trip. Morgane will transfer you back to Tours for a TGV to Paris.


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