Things to do in Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is château country: climb Chambord's famous double-helix staircase to rooftop terraces among chimneys and turrets, admire the tapestries and paintings by Rubens, Veronese and Poussin at Chenonceau, and walk Villandry's vegetable garden, whose plantings change with the seasons. In Amboise, Leonardo da Vinci is buried in the chapel of the Royal Château, whose hanging gardens look over the UNESCO-listed valley, and the park of Clos Lucé, Leonardo's last home, shows models of the inventions in action. The area also takes in Reims in Champagne, with the Gothic cathedral where many French monarchs were crowned and Champagne houses offering cellar visits with tastings.

Good to knowBook Champagne house visits in advance on each house's own website. Chambord's formal gardens close 30 minutes before the château, so see them first if you arrive late. Villandry's gardens open every day except Christmas Day, but the château interior closes for parts of winter; Clos Lucé is about 400 m from the Royal Château of Amboise, so allow 2 to 3 hours for it.