Loire Valley
Loire Valley, France
Northern France’s beautiful UNESCO-listed valley, home to heart-stoppingly beautiful historic chateaux, authentic village life, world-class wines and fascinating troglodytes.
Recommended place to stay:
Sitting in gardens at the end of a long avenue, south of Chinon, Marcay provides a perfect combination of countryside calm and authentic chateau splendour, with crenellated towers and ancient stone walls straight out of a fairytale.
The 33 rooms are split between the 15th-century chateau itself and an attractive converted pavilion.
The hotel is a true gourmet stop, with a great restaurant, kitchen garden and truffle plantation, alongside its own vineyard. They organise tours of their wine cellars and wine tastings every evening, and can also help organise visits to other nearby vineyards.
The hotel is situated in peaceful farmland 8km from the historic town and castle of Chinon, offering blissful seclusion, and with bars and bistros nearby.
Other nearby attractions include Azay-le-Rideau, Fontevraud, the Château d’Usse, and La Deviniere, the 15th-century house where the writer Rabelais was born.
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