Think of the French countryside, and you think of chateaux. They come in as many different styles as there are pastries in Paris, from medieval fortresses to fairytale castles, royal palaces to lovely country manors, but in all you’ll find a rousing sense of history and culture.
They can be found all over the country, but nowhere has such a dense collection as the Loire Valley, the slow-paced, beautiful region of France that seems to embody art de vivre. So dotted with chateaux is it, that a large stretch of the area is listed as a Unesco world heritage site in honour of its great architectural monuments. For any holiday here, by campervan or car, hiking or two-wheeling, chateaux are inescapable, much like the great food and wine tastings – together, they're a quintessential Loire experience.
