Pays de la Loire Favorites

 
by iris2002
 
  •   Favorites
    by iris2002
  • A Path In The Park
      A Path In The Park
    by bgjulieta
  • An Old Boat Near The Park
      An Old Boat Near The Park
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  • The Lake
      The Lake
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  • Birds On The Water
      Birds On The Water
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Saumur in 1400 AD

by hquittner

Louis I, Duke of Anjou (living in Angers) and Jean, Duke of Berry (living in Bourges) were the younger brothers of King Charles VI. All three were rich and avid collectors of Art, a taste acquired from their father. Charles helped Louis with his commissioning of th Apocalypse Tapestries and their creation. Jean acquired tapestries too but he is most famous in Art History for the sponsorship of a prayer book illustrated with masterpiece miniature paintings. ("The Book of Hours of the Duke of Berry"). The illustrations were mostly by the Limbourg brothers (between 1400-10). The book is in the Library of the Chateau of Chantilly. (See our Tips of that place in the Picardie Region and on the Chateau). The book is intriguing for its accurate depictions of landscapes, castles, activities in 1400, in sum medieval life of the time. We keep a fine copy on our coffee table. Saumur is in the...

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First Learn What Pays de la Loire Means

by hquittner

Until now , over 85% of the Tips under Pays de la Loire have been about places and things not in this Region. The name was adopted by the 5 departments: Maine-et-Loire(#49)(with Angers, 143K pop.), Loire-Atlantique(#44) (with Nantes, 265K pop.), Sarthe (#72) (with Le Mans, 155K pop.) plus Vendee (#85)(with the Alantic coast) and Mayenne (#53). The duchy of Anjou, the ancient English Plantagenet royal home overlies Angers and the Maine-et-Loire department and beyond. There are great ancient castles (chateaux) in Nantes, Angers and Saumur and a nice "newer" one at Serrant 17 km from Angers (1 km from St. Georges); all are "must see". The lower Loire river runs through the Pays to the Atlantic. Completely different is the Le Mans Cathedral of St. Julian which is both Romanesque and Gothic, built 11-13C, with a famous flying buttressed apse and a South porch with statues contemporary with...

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Loire Valley

by tini58de

The Loire Valley has so much to offer: vinyards, the beautiful river, mansions and chateaux in all different styles and ages! Some are beautiful from the outside, others fascinate you when visiting the inside - what a fantastic furniture, paintings and exhibitions of all sorts! And yet other ones are the most wonderful ones because of their gardens and surrounding landscape!For a lovely overview have a look hereAbsolutely worthwhile visiting!

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Loches: what to see? where to park?

by Martinewezel

Loches, a city South East of Tours has a Medieval center upon a rock, enclosed by remparts. It's here where it all happens...If you don't have a lot of time to spend, certainly visit the Dungeon.The "Logis royal" (the castle) is remarkable, but not that special if you've seen other chateaux in the region.Free parking on the square under the remparts (follow the indicators to "chateau").

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Avoid the typical tourist attractions

by antoanellarom

Great castles and medieval towns ! Choose the smaller and less known castels and you will have a surprise. Loches or Chaumont-sur-Loire are so rewarding with their tranquille atmosphere, small rooms and fairy-tale atmosphere !Some of the castles, like Cheverny are still inhabited so the turists can even admire the photos of the owners shown on the desks

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Tours a Good Base for Touring the Loire Valley

by Goner

Tours is a colorful and lively town and it is considered one of the best towns on the Loire River to use as a base for castle exploring. Tours was built on the site of a Roman town and in 1461 Louis XI made Tours the French capital. Tours suffered extensive damage in WWI and it became a slum, now it is beautifully restored and filled with cafes and boutiques. In the evenings we enjoyed strolling the medieval streets, dining in the cafes and drinking the excellent local wines.

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The Lovely Towns of Pays de la Loire

by Goner

The chateax in the region are exceptional, but the historic medieval towns located in this area should be visited also. Besides Tours, where we made our base; Amboise, Blois and Saumur have much to offer, they too have chateaux. These sleepy hamets boast lovelyl Romanesque churches decorated with fescoes, historic bridges and spectacular scenery along the Loire Rive and its tributaries.Payes de la Loire also includes magnificient Chartres Cathedral and the home of the great heroine of France, Joan of Arc. When I think of "Loire Valley" it brings back great memories to the the gorgeous chateaux and the beautiful countryside.

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The Beautiful Chateaux

by Goner

The Loire Valley is studded with lovely chateaux. Each has it's own distinctive architecture with expansive and lovely grounds. To visit them is to remind you of the luxurious lifestyle that people enjoyed during the Renaissance. So many artisians gathered here to enrich France with a heritage that can be enjoyed today. So many gorgeous chateaux in such a small area where you can visit several in a day. To pick a favorite is difficult, maybe Chenonceau is my favorite - the "ladies chateau".

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visit the tombs of Richard...

by Carmanah

visit the tombs of Richard Lionheart and Eleanor Aquitaine in the Abbey Royale de Fontvraud. While I don't believe their bodies are encased in the casks, I do believe they were buried below the floor where the casks currently reside.

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Loches: Church of St.-Ours

by Martinewezel

The Roman church in the Medieval City. Take a view inside on your way between the Logis and the Dungeon. It's free. Not very special, if you want my opinion.But the outside is worth a photo!

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Related Pays de la Loire Favorites Tips

Top 3 Hotels in Pays de la Loire

Hotel Pommeraye Nantes  Nantes

 2 Reviews and 122 Opinions  My room was spacious, bright, stylish, right in the heart of the shopping district & had a view.... 

 Hotels in Nantes

Hotel Continental  Angers

 2 Reviews and 28 Opinions  We stayed at the Hotel Continental in Angers for 3 nights in July 2011, as a home base for touring... 

 Hotels in Angers

Campanile Le Mans  Le Mans

 1 Review and 23 Opinions  295 - 315 Francs nice room, good food and lock up garage for bikes. 

 Hotels in Le Mans

512 Hotels in Pays de la Loire
 
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Reviews and photos of Pays de la Loire attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Pays de la Loire sightseeing.

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Favorites: Cities in Pays de la Loire
  1. Nantes Favorites
  2. Angers Favorites
  3. Saumur Favorites
  4. Le Mans Favorites
  5. Saint-Nazaire Favorites
  6. Puy-du-Fou Favorites
  7. Fontevrault-l'Abbaye Favorites
  8. Les Sables-d'Olonne Favorites
  9. Pornic Favorites
  10. Le Croisic Favorites
  11. Guérande Favorites
  12. Pornichet Favorites
  13. Cossé-le-Vivien Favorites

More Cities in Pays de la Loire

 

Questions and Answers

tonyjones1985 profile photo

Q:  Hi all, me and my gf are going to be cycling the Euro Velo 6 in October, we have been doing mountains of research and was... 

puerto_lover profile photo

A: Plenty of châteaux to look up but some are better than others. Don't know where you plan to ride from and to as the Velo 6 is long but its all great cycling friendly... 

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