The Loire Valley (between Sully-Sur-Loire and Chalonnes)

The Loire Valley with a capital in Tours is an outstanding region, where history is still present In historical monuments, architectural landscapes and the atmosphere. And not for nothing is this region called ‘a cradle of French language’ and ‘garden of France’. Visitors can find here more than 300 castles, often surrounded by stunning garden, which were being erected from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment. These structures are top class monuments, which along with surrounding cities and villages, picturesque vineyards, create unique landscape. The central part of the Loire Valley located between the western Chalonnes and the eastern Sully-sur-Loire was inscribed into UNESCO’s World Heritage List In 2000 and it is the most scenic picture of the region. UNESCO’s List covers the Castle In Villandry, the Castle In Ainay-le-Vieil, the Castle In Blais, the Castle In Azay-le-Rideau as well as other Castles In Sylly-sur-Loire and Chambord listed In 1981.
The castle in Villandry is located on the place where the ancient fortress was built and destroyed in the 14th century. The castle was erected in the 15th century and it has been a property of many noble families. In 1903, it was purchased by the doctor Joachim Carvallo who spent a fortune to make this place unique. His contribution to castle’s decoration developed in a beautiful and majestic garden in the Renaissance style.
The biggest castle of the Loire castles is the castle in Chambord. It is considered to be one of the most impressive architectural jewels from the period of the Renaissance. The Castle resembles a medieval fortress. It was Built at the request of Francis I, King of France. The appearance of the castle was influenced by Leonardo de Vinci. Castle’s building began in 1519, and the last tower was finished already 16 years later, in 1535. Over the centuries, from the time of Louis XII to the present day, the castle of Chambord and its extensive property have enjoyed their noble inhabitants. Today, visitors can discover a fantastic collection of over 4500 works of art and furnished chambers.