The Loire.
Touraine's First Lady. Follow her train, sometimes silvery, sometimes golden, as she takes you to the land of Kings and Queens, an area listed by Unesco as a world heritage site for its natural beauty.

An invitation to a voyage where the imaginary travels hand in hand with History, where people continue with traditions, where, over the centuries, the necessities of life have heen turned into an art of living. Earth, stone and the Loire all have their stories to tell...

Here in their medieval strongholds you will meet the Plantagenets, heirs to king Arthur. From Charles VII to Henry IV, from the Hundred Years' War to the Wars of Religion, every wall will be able to recount its intrigues and torments. Each and everyone will discover a piece of his or her own history in the Renaissance castles where François 1 and Catherine de' Medici were to establish a new style...

The palates of Kings had long ago succumbed to the delight of Touraine's wines in this land of smooth contours and soft stone. But Touraine's gastronomy is not only its great wines and refined cooking, it can also be a simple picnic lunch where you can enjoy all kinds of locally grown produce. As you turn these pages, you can find out about outings that will make you appreciate the variety of things that Touraine has to offer....

____________________________________________________________________________