Destination Where Life Is an Art!
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V o y a g e TouraineDestination Where life is an art! PressADT TOURAINE Contact Marieke Gourdin - Communications and Media Relations Manager Tel: 02 47 31 42 93 [email protected] Key figures Contents 39 3 Touraine in the Loire Valley 3 châteaux Art and open to History Towns Where life is an art! PRESS RELEASE visitors TOURS, LOCHES, Touraine is blessed by the gods, cherished by kings, celebrated by poets and pampered 4 14 CHINON by Mother Nature. It has that special, charming, typically French touch. From Rabelais to Leonardo da Vinci, from King Francis I to Mick Jagger via Richelieu, Balzac, Ronsard, IN TOURS FROM AMBOISE TO CHENONCEAU gardens8 with the Joan of Arc and Catherine de’ Medici, it has never ceased to attract. Cultural Touraine Renaissance TOURAINE Remarkable Garden label Whether you’re a king, a rocker, a bon vivant, a writer or a tourist 8 16 AOP wines At the heart of a passionate love story involving the River The birthplace of the French way of life, home to the most FROM VOUVRAY TO MONTLOUIS IN LOCHES 12 4 major cycling trails Loire and tuffeau stone, with an internationally celebrated simple pleasures and a symbol of easy living: like a precious the tender heart of TOURAINE Bohemian South TOURAINE architectural heritage, known as the «Garden of France» since jewel, Touraine has several different facets that have shaped (LA LOIRE À VÉLO, L’INDRE À the Renaissance, featuring a network of green trails, a favourite its personality! From Tours to the vineyards of Vouvray and VÉLO, ST-JACQUES À VÉLO, region for wine aficionados and a horn of plenty for food lovers: Montlouis, via Amboise and Chenonceau, Chinon and 10 20 VAL DE CHER À VÉLO) Touraine combines the Good and the Beautiful in a setting listed Azay-le-Rideau, Langeais and Bourgueil, all the way as part of World Heritage by UNESCO since 2000. south to Loches: each area is an invitation to take a journey, FROM CHINON TO AZAY-LE-RIDEAU IN LANGEAIS AND BOURGUEIL with extravagant or intimate experiences to enjoy during an Food lovers’ Touraine Countryside Chic Touraine 6 800 km enchanting break. of hiking trails From the monumental Loire valley to the dazzling countryside, famous La Flèche A 28 L L E A S 138 KmV M I A 80 Km A R L A N P SARTHE S vineyards and quiet villages, get ready for 6 great experiences! LOIR-ET-CHER m K 0 Bueil-en- 2 2 Touraine IS Saint-Christophe- R sur-le-Nais PA Grange St-Paterne- de Meslay Racan Neuvy-le-Roi Chambord Villiers-au-Bouin Beaumont- BLOIS La Clarté-Dieu Louestault Château-Renault Brèches Marcilly-sur-Maulne Château-la-Vallière Nouzilly 1 2 3 4 5 6 Neuillé-Pont-Pierre Sonzay Monnaie A 10 Saint-Laurent-de-Lin St-Antoine- D910 Villedômer D 959 Channay- Vaujours du-Rocher Chanceaux- Neuillé- Autrèche sur-Lathan Courcelles- sur-Choisille le-Lierre Beauregard Semblançay de-Touraine Notre-Dame- Grange de Montreuil-en-T Scénoféerie d’Oé Saint-Ouen-les-vignes Meslay Reugny Chaumont-sur-Loire Cheverny Savigné- Chançay Cangey MAINE-ET-LOIRE sur-Lathan Mettray Ambillou Parçay-Meslay Pocé-sur-Cisse Rillé La Membrolle- Jardins de Nazelle- Limeray sur-Choisille Valmer Jallanges Négron Mosnes Champchevrier Vernou- sur-Brenne Fondettes Rochecorbon Noizay HommesCléré-les-Pins TOURS AMBOISE Chargé Fougères-sur-Bièvre Gizeux Saint-Cyr- Vouvray D952 Continvoir Luynes sur-Loire Montlouis- St-Pierre sur-Loire Lussault- Clos-Lucé Château A La Riche des-Corps La Ville- sur-Loire Gaillard N Cinq-Mars-la-Pile Saint- Pagode de G Genouph aux-Dames La Bourdaisière Chanteloup E Berthenay Saint-Avertin RS 50 k LANGEAIS Savonnières Joué- St-Martin-le-Beau lès-Tours Azay- Civray-de- Benais Véretz sur-Cher Touraine Chenonceaux Bourré Villandry Ballan-Miré Dierre m Saint-Nicolas- Restigné La Chapelle- A 85 Chambray- La Croix-en- Chisseaux Leugny Athée- Touraine D976 de-Bourgueil Bourgueil Coteaux-sur- aux-Naux lès-Tours sur-Cher Saumur Loire Lignières-de-Touraine Nitray VIERZON 117 km Druye Candé Montbazon Bléré Francueil A 85 Bréhémont Vallères Monts D952 Fontenay Veigné Truyes m Les Goupillières k Chouzé-sur-Loire Marnay Artannes- Esvres St-Aignan 8 Montpoupon 1 sur-Indre Reignac- B ES e La Chapelle- Cheillé OURG in L’Islette AZAY Pont- Sublaines ZooParc de Beauval m a Rivarennes sur-Indre 50 K t sur-Loire de-Ruan Cormery 1 n Montsoreau LE-RIDEAU Sorigny o Rigny-Ussé Luzillé -F Savigny-en-Véron St-Benoît- Saché Céré-la-Ronde a Huismes -l Saint-Branchs é Candes- Chédigny u Avoine la-Forêt Villaines-les-Rochers Do Zoo de St-Martin Beaumont-en-Véron Avon-les- Villeperdue Azay- St-Germain- LES PLUS St-Quentin- Genillé BEAUX DETOURS CHINON Tauxigny DE FRANCE sur-Indre sur-Vienne Roches sur-Indrois Fontevraud- Dolus-le-sec Cinais Cravant Crissay- Sainte-Catherine- Le Louroux Chemillé- Montrésor Brézé l’Abbaye La Roche- sur-Manse Clermault Panzoult de-Fierbois Chambourg- sur-Indrois Valençay Rivière Saint-Épain sur-Indre Nouans- TOURS FROM FROM FROM CHINON FROM FROM Seuilly Crouzilles Chanceaux- les-Fontaines Sazilly Manthelan Villeloin- La Vauguyon L’Ile-Bouchard près-Loches Coulangé Noyant-de-Touraine La Corroirie Montreuil- Lerné Lémeré Tavant - - Bellay Ligré Sainte-Maure- Beaulieu- Le Liget Cultural VOUVRAY TO AMBOISE TO TO AZAY LE LANGEAIS TO LOCHES TO LES PLUS de-Touraine BEAUX DETOURS Parçay- Trogues La Chapelle-Blanche- DE FRANCE LOCHES lès-Loches Le Rivau Saint-Martin Sennevières Marçay sur-Vienne Pouzay Sepmes Perrusson St-Jean-St-Germain D 910 TOURAINE Champigny- MONTLOUIS CHENONCEAU RIDEAU BOURGUEIL MONTRÉSOR Le Bois- sur-Veude Civray- Grillemont Verneuil- aux-Daims Chaveignes Maillé sur-Esves sur-Indre La Tour- Marcilly- Draché A Town of Art and Saint-Gelin Ligueil Esves-le- D943 Richelieu sur-Vienne Marcé- Moutier the tender heart Renaissance Food lovers’ Countryside Bohemian Luzé sur-Esves St-Senoch La Celle- History, as well as an Loudun Braslou Bois Aubry St-Avant Cussay Ferrière- of TOURAINE TOURAINE TOURAINE Chic Touraine South Larçon International City A 10 Bridoré Marigny- Descartes Betz-le- Marmande Château of Gastronomy, the A 100% mineral 500 years ago, the The Chinon region is Emerald-green TOURAINE m K Faye-la-Vineuse Les Ormes Abilly INDRE 0 8 La Celle-Guenand former capital of the region, taking visitors warm breezes of Italy a land of plenty with nature, family-owned 3 Obterre With the gently m Jaulnay X K U Le Grand-Pressigny Le Petit-Pressigny A 2 Réserve de la Haute Touche kingdom of France on a voyage between blew over Touraine! little-known châteaux, châteaux, divine E 0 D flowing River Indre 1 R C E H VIENNE O V A P T B E G AU sweetly nourishes the light-filled stones In the secrets of the a star wine region and wines, country scenery O T RO and the Creuse, C La Guerche U X S Chaumussay 110 Km O Barrou Preuilly-sur-Claise body and soul. Here, and limestone soils. builders and the gastronomy made and medieval gems R country fields and U Boussay T U the art of living is Immerse yourself private lives of great with tender, loving will elegantly flow F Chambon little villages, the - S Azay-le-Ferron R Châtellerault in tuffeau stone, men and women: care. by. E a state of mind! In the land of Here, nature is I Loche region is an T Bossay- I O sur-Claise P where life really is this is the epitome Rabelais, the art in haute-couture Yzeures-sur-Creuse invitation to slow troglodytic! of the French of living comes style! down a while. Enjoy Tournon-St-Pierre 0 10 20 km lifestyle! naturally! the art of taking it easy in style! 2 3 CULTURAL TOURAINE ZOOM V o y a g e Want to go up in the world? Head for the Charlemagne Tower, at the heart of Tours old ON THE town! CHARLEMAGNE TOWER 284 is the number of stairs you need to count before arriving a survivor of the French Revolution! Journey to Tours at the top, at a height of 48 metres! On the terrace roof, the reward is well worth the effort: an exceptional 360° view – and Along with the Tour de l’Horloge and the Saint-Martin Cloister, the Cultural Touraine up to 20 kilometres away on a clear day! See the town laid out Charlemagne Tower is one of the before you and try to spot the Town Hall, Rue Nationale, the few remains of the old Saint-Martin Saint Martin Basilica, the Plumereau district, the bridges over Basilica. Built in the 12th century, it the River Loire, the islands and Saint-Gatien Cathedral… crowned the northern arm of the transept in the collegiate church. It almost disappeared completely when the building was demolished in 1797. After partially collapsing, being closed and renovated over Museums in Tours a period of decades, it is now A Town of Art and History, and listed as part of a World Heritage landscape by UNESCO, once again the town’s towering A cultural ferment! landmark. Tours displays its charms in its varied districts and along the royal river. The Charlemagne Tower, Saint-Gatien Cathedral, Rue Colbert with its picturesque shops and traditional houses dating from the 15th and 16th centuries combine for a perfect match alongside the Fine Arts Museum and the Olivier Debré Centre for Contemporary Creation. Unique cultural sites, a whole host of tasty bistrots, a famous square to enjoy a drink with friends, an outstanding indoor market with plenty of local farm produce: the former capital of the kingdom of France sweetly feeds the body and soul.