Château d’Amboise Ancient Castles of the Loire Valley, France A Guided Walking Tour May 31st to June 7th - 2021 Leader Philippe Apchin Assistant Deirdre Butler Discover the magnificent Loire Valley and visit the world famous Castles of the Loire. Located in the center of France, with their turrets and flamboyant renaissance architecture reflected in the waters of the rivers, the castles and their intricate gardens provide some of the most beautiful classic images of France. Once the favourite hunting grounds of royalty, the Loire Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural landscapes. The unique scenery of the Loire also includes attractive vineyards, orchards and pastures. Standards of cooking are consistently high, the area is renowned for its refined country cuisine, rich in flavours and textures and inspired by the products of the Loire Valley. The Loire Valley is blessed with gentle weather for walking. In the Spring, temperatures average 59 – 68F.Walking from town to town is mostly on flat terrain, through attractive vineyards, on peaceful forest tracks, quiet country roads and paths alongside the rivers Loire, Cher and Vienne, with the occasional short ascent to the ridges overlooking the rivers. © big round world 2020 - Loire Valley 2021 - v6 Monday May 31 Arrival day DAY We meet late afternoon at our hotel located in the historic city of Tours. Detailed information on in-country travel 1 options will be provided by the trip leader upon sign up. Tonight, we dine in a charming restaurant near the hotel. D Tuesday June 1 Fontevraud Royal Abbey to Chinon 9 miles DAY For our first day, we head to Fontevraud. Situated where the three regions of Anjou, Poitou and Touraine meet, it is one of the largest surviving monastic cities from the middle ages. We visit the Royal Abbey, founded in 1101 by 2 visionary monk Robert d’Abrissel as a utopian city and a place of worship dedicated to prayer and work. It became a royal necropolis in 1189, housing the tombs of the Plantagenets: Henry 2nd, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart. Fontevraud was opened to the public in 1975 after 9 centuries behind closed doors. After our picnic lunch in the superb grounds of the Abbey, we walk out of the village with a short ascent on the long-distance trail GR3 and on good tracks through the forest until we descend to the river Vienne and its many islets. We follow the scenic riverside, looking for ducks, herons and kingfishers, in to the medieval town of Chinon and its mighty fortress built on a rocky spur. We explore the city with its 14th and 15th century mansions, squares and church before dining in a great local restaurant. B L D Chateau_de_Chenonceau Wednesday June 2 Chenonceau to Amboise 9 miles DAY A 30 minute drive from our hotel takes us to the estate of Chenonceau. Built in the 16th century, it is a masterpiece of the French Renaissance. The castle appears to hover over the peaceful waters of the river Cher. We visit the 3 guardroom, the chapel, the chambers and the superb ~ 200 foot long gallery spanning over the river. We have our picnic lunch in the beautiful French garden or in the Potager des Fleurs before setting off through Amboise Royal Forest, where we might spot wild boars, deer or foxes. We emerge from the forest near Amboise and visit the Chateau of Clos Lucé, the manor house of Leonardo da Vinci. We wander through the park, marvelling at the exhibitions of 40 of his fabulous machines. Our walk finishes in Amboise, a medieval fortress turned royal residence, where the Court was host to scholars and artists from the whole of Europe. We dine in a lovely restaurant in the town, before returning to Tours. B L D © big round world 2020 - Loire Valley 2021 - v6 Thursday June 3 Tours 5 miles DAY Today, we explore the city of Tours, the capital of the Loire Valley. The creative architecture of many monuments and private mansions shows the Italian influence, in the beginning of the 16th century when King Louis XII 4 conquered the kingdom of Naples and discovered the Renaissance Art. We start our tour with 19th century Tours: the Railway Station, City Hall, Jean Jaures Square and the Basilica tribute to St Martin, the holy man and emblem of Tours. We enter the medieval city near Charlemagne Tower. We walk along the quays and take a discovery tour on a traditional wooden boat, an aperitif and a packed lunch. We continue past the castle, through a picturesque medieval street before heading to the Cathedral. We explore the Place Plumereau, the historic heart of Tours with its row of half-timbered houses. After a tour of the indoor market to sample some of its gastronomic delights, we enjoy dinner in one of the city’s fine restaurants. B L D Château de Chambord Friday June 4 Mer to Chambord-Blois 8.5 miles DAY Chambord is the dream come true of the young king Francis 1st. The most impressive castle of the Loire still defies the imagination: 164 feet high, 512 feet of façade, 440 room and its famous double helix staircase attributed to 5 Leonardo da Vinci. Its gothic roofs are bristling with chimneys, turrets and dormers. Amazingly, Chambord was used more as a hunting lodge than a permanent residence and the King only spent 72 days here. In the morning, we alight from the train at the little station of Mer and head south across the majestic Loire. We briefly join the Camino Trail, past a pretty village and enter the forest where we stop for our picnic lunch. Afterwards, we continue through the forest to join the long-distance trail “GR de Sologne” for the most dramatic approach to the castle. We spend a couple of hours visiting Chambord, before taking a coach to the picturesque city of Blois where we enjoy dinner in a restaurant set in a 16th century house in the historic town centre. B L D Saturday June 5 Saumur to Montsoreau 7 miles DAY A scenic 40 minutes train ride takes us to the wonderful town of Saumur. Nestling in the heart of extensive vineyards, Saumur nicknamed the Pearl of the Anjou, hosts a spectacular Chateau overlooking the Loire. We stroll 6 over the old bridge and through the narrow streets of the town to St-Pierre square with its old timber-framed houses, historic church and weekly market. We source lunch from the market before ascending to a beautiful vantage point just under the castle. We descend to the riverside to take a local bus for a couple of miles to the lovely village of Souzay for lunch by the river. We continue through Saumur Champigny vineyards to Parnay and Turquant, small villages famous for their mushroom and wine caves and traditional troglodytic habitat in the limestone escarpment running parallel to the Loire. We stop at an internationally renowned domain for a memorable wine tasting session accompanied with delicious regional specialities. We finish in pretty Montsoreau before heading back to Tours for supper in a vibrant French brasserie. B L D © big round world 2020 - Loire Valley 2021 - v6 Sunday June 6 Villandry to Langeais 8 miles DAY We head for the magnificent gardens of Villandry, one of the last great castles of the Renaissance built in the Loire Valley. We tour the gardens which are constructed on three levels: the Water Garden, the decorative flower garden 7 and the ornamental kitchen garden with its nine colourful squares of geometrically planted vegetables and fruit trees. From Villandry, we follow a cycle path taking in the beautiful scenery of the Cher and the Loire rivers. After a lovely walk along green pastures, fields and vineyards, we arrive in the small town of Langeais. Built in the early 15th century with a parapet walk and a drawbridge, Langeais is a perfect example of a late medieval castle. We admire the collections of furniture and original tapestries that have been remarkably preserved. Early evening, we return by train to Tours’ historic quarter for our farewell dinner. B L D Monday June 7 Departure day DAY After breakfast at the hotel, our Loire Valley adventure comes to a close. This immersion into the rich French culture and atmosphere leaves us with a bounty of memories and photos to share with 8 family and friends. B Les Jardins de Villandry What’s Included: Accommodation (double-occupancy with en suite bath) in a 4 star Hotel in the centre of Tours. All breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Services of a professional trip leader and highly knowledgeable local guide. Entrance fees to Fontevraud Abbey, the Castles of Chenonceau, Clos Luce, Chambord, Villandry et Langeais, Tours Cathedral, boat tour on the Loire, Wine tasting in Saumur. Gratuities for local service providers. On-trip transportation by train, bus and private taxi. All hikes. Your leader will provide 4 trip newsletters prior to departure with more detailed and specific information to help you prepare for your adventure. What’s Not Included International airfare and in-country travel, pre- and post- trip. Beverages with meals. Expenses of a personal nature. Travel insurance. Tips for trip leaders are at your discretion. The hikes on this trip range from 5 to 9 miles, on generally flat terrain. The proposed itinerary may be subject to change due to weather or local conditions beyond the control of the trip leader. This trip is also suitable for non hikers as nearly all destinations are easily accessible via public transport, daily hiking is about 4 hours and there is also much to see and do in Tours.