Loire Valley, Natural region in central France
The Loire Valley stretches for around 280 kilometers (174 miles) along the river of the same name through central France, encompassing vineyards, orchards and open fields. Smaller tributaries flow into the Loire, creating a network of green valleys and gentle hills.
French kings chose this area as their favored residence during the 15th and 16th centuries, building or renovating numerous castles. Many of these structures grew from medieval fortresses that were gradually transformed into residential estates.
The river gave its name to the region and still shapes how people live along its banks, where wine making and market gardening have continued for centuries. Many towns still carry old French terms for river bends or floodplains in their names.
Most visitors use one of the larger towns such as Tours or Blois as a base and explore the surrounding vineyards and castles by bicycle or car from there. Train links to Paris allow for easy arrival, while a dense network of cycling paths connects individual landmarks.
In some places the river almost disappears completely into its wide sandy bed during summer, leaving only narrow streams between broad islands. This phenomenon once made the Loire difficult to navigate and forced inhabitants to rely on land routes instead.
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