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Tourist Information Loir-et-Cher,
Loire Valley France |
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Things
to see and do in Loir-et-Cher, Loire Valley France
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Valley Holiday Homes Back to French Tourist Info
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Info Loir-et-Cher, Loire Valley: Blois |
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| The
capital city of the Loir-et-Cher department,
Blois is famous for its magnifient château which was one
owned by King Louis XII. It dominates the city,
which is perched on two hillsides with steep
alleyways and streets. The Château is of
particular interest because of its distinct and
separate architectural styles, these being
classical, medieval, renaissance and gothic.
Within the walls of the château are other
attractions. The Archaeology
museum houses a fine collection
of pottery, coins and bones of extince species.
Also within the château are the Musée
de Beaux Arts and the Salles
des Etats Généraux. This was
formerly used as a courtroom where the Dukes of
Blois presided over trials. Other attractions in
Blois include the bizarrely named 'House
of Acrobats.' There are no acrobats
performing tricks, but the house is so named
because of the timbers which are decorated with
characters taken from medieval farces. The house
survived the WWII bombings intact, one of the few
houses of this period to do so. The
House of Magic however, lives up to its
name. On display are articles, paintings and
photographs relating to the magician's craft. The
19th century magician Robert Houdin is remembered
here as the magician who later inspired the Great
Houdini. The Musée de
L'Objet is actually a museum of
modern art housing a splendid collection of
exhibits from all over the world. Also to visit
is the 17th century gothic St
Louis' Cathedral in the old town. It was
rebuilt following the destruction of the original
as a result of a hurricane in 1678. It has some
impressive stained glass and carvings, and a
crypt dating from the 10th & 11th centuries.
Nearby are the Gardens
of the Bishop's Palace where there are
splendid views over the city. The Royal Flower
Gardens are exceptionally beautiful in summer
when they are planted with magnificent floral
displays. Other noteworthy places are St.
Nicholas' Church which stands close to the
River Loire and St.
Vincent's Church in the Place Victor Hugo
which is noted for its stained glass depicting
the life of Christ. The
Town
Hall is impressive
with a fine sundial located just outside the
building. |
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Info Loir-et-Cher, Loire Valley: Montrichard |
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| Montrichard
is a pretty town on the banks of the River Loire
between Tours and Blois, and therefore fishing
and boating are amongst the attractions here. The
town features a medieval
château, sound and light shows
during the summer, a municipal swimming pool and
a leisure centre Le
Parc
Plage with has mini
golf, tennis, beach volleyball, boules, canoeing
and a skateboarding track. For cyclists there are
marked routes (maps available from the Tourist
Office). Wine caves include the Cave
Paul Buisse, and the town has a
market on Monday and Saturday mornings. |
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Info Loir-et-Cher, Loire Valley: Romorantin |
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| Situated
approximately 65km south of Orléans, on the
River Sauldre, Romorantin is famous for its Journée
Gastronomiques which take place during
the last weekend of October. The local
restaurants, and a huge variety of street stalls
set out to create traditional and original
recipes based on apples; pumpkins, wild mushroms
and game. You will be spoilt for choice. The
town's other main attraction is the Musée
de Sologne which is located in the
centre of the town,with exhibits of local
traditions, ecology and history. Romorantin has markets
on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and for
shopping there is the huge Champion Hypermarket.
For wine buffs, the Romorantin
grape variety, introduced to the
Loire by 15th century King François, produces a
distinctive wine. Other attractions include Le
Square Ferdinand Buisson, a public park, Beauvais
Park & Château with 13 hectares to
explore, the Town Hall with its Chinese
style pagoda depicting seabirds, and the Church
of St. Etienne. |
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Info Loir-et-Cher, Loire Valley: St Aignan |
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| St
Aignan is the site of one of Europe's top zoos, Beauval
Zoo,
with over 4000 different animal species, 4
tropical greenhouses, seal and hawk shows and an
African Savannah. Other attractions include the Château
of St Aignan. The Hagard Tower is the
only remaining structure ofthe original 19th
century fortress. The château is privately owned
and only the exterior can be visited. The town
also offers hot air
ballooning from Montgolfières en
Vallée en Cher. There are daily flights
depending on the weather, from 200 Euros per
person. |
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Info Loir-et-Cher, Loire Valley: Vendome |
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| The
pretty town of Vendôme has some impressive
buildings and a pedestrianized shopping centre.
The Friday market is held in the indoor market
hall. The town is situated approximately 30km NW
of Blois on the river Loire. Sightseeing
includesthe Place St-Martin which features
the Tour St-Martin, the 15th & 16th century
remains of a Renaissance church which was
demolished in 1857 Other places of interest are
the Church of La
Trinité with its ancient choir
stalls and highly decorative facade, and the Chapelle
du Lycée dating from 1452. |
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