We are sure you have already heard about the Loire Valley In France. The Loire Valley (in French: Vallée de la Loire) is world-famous for castles (Chambord, Chenonceau…) and historic towns. It was added by UNESCO to its list of World Heritage Sites, in 2000, and Unesco say the Loire Valley is: “an exceptional cultural landscape, of great beauty, comprised of historic cities and villages, great architectural monuments – the Châteaux – and lands that have been cultivated and shaped by centuries of interaction between local populations and their physical environment, in particular the Loire itself.” Loire Valley is situated in the center of France around the Loire river, the last wild river in Europe.
By the middle of the 16th century, King Francois I, had shifted the center of power in France from the Loire back to the ancient capital of Paris. With him went the great architects, but the Loire Valley continued to be the place where most of the French royalty preferred to spend the bulk of their time. The ascension of King Louis XIV in the middle of the 17th century made Paris the permanent site for great royal châteaux when he built the Palace of Versailles. Nonetheless, those who gained the king’s favour and the wealthy bourgeoisie, continued to renovate existing châteaux or build lavish new ones as their summer residence in the Loire (source=Wikipedia).
All the cultural monuments, castles and old town have preserved the ideals of the Renaissance and the Age of the Enlightenment.
The Loire valley is also called the Garden of France and the Cradle of the French Language, and I can tell you it is the best wine product area, but on this point all french are disagree!
Beauty, culture, food and wine… yes, Loire Valley is the perfect place to be. Don’t be surprised if most of the Versailles’ team come from this paradise.