Indre-et-Loire, Administrative department in Centre-Val de Loire, France.
Description
Indre-et-Loire is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region that stretches along the Loire and its tributaries, covering rolling hills, vineyards, and forested areas. Tours, the capital, sits centrally and connects smaller towns such as Amboise, Loches, and Chinon.
History
The department was created in 1790 during the French Revolution from parts of the former province of Touraine along with sections of Orléanais, Anjou, and Poitou. Over centuries the region served as a retreat for French kings who built their residences along the Loire.
Culture
The name joins the two rivers Indre and Loire that flow through the territory and shape its landscape. Vineyards line the river valleys, and in the villages you notice houses built from pale tuffeau stone that softly reflects daylight.
Practical
The A10 motorway crosses the department from north to south, linking Paris and Bordeaux, while the A28 heads northward toward Le Mans. High-speed trains stop in Tours and provide connections to Paris, Bordeaux, and other French cities within short travel times.
Did you know?
The confluences of the Indre and the Vienne with the Loire create wide floodplains that were regularly flooded in earlier times, producing fertile soils. These soils now support the cultivation of grapes used to produce well-known wines such as Vouvray and Chinon.
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide. Discover all places nearby (Centre-Val de Loire).
ZooParc de Beauval
51.9 km
Château de Chenonceau
31.6 km
Château d'Amboise
30.2 km
Château de Blois
62.4 km
Clos Lucé
30.3 km
Château de Villandry
15.3 km
Château de Villandry
15.3 km
Chinon Castle
33.8 km
Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
15.2 km
Château d'Ussé
28.4 km
Castle of Chaumont-sur-Loire
46.5 km
Château de Fourchette
33.2 km
Tours Cathedral
16.3 km
Chinon Nuclear Power Plant
37.6 km
Château de Loches
28.6 km
Basilica of St. Martin, Tours
16 km
Château de Langeais
21.4 km
Château du Clos-Lucé
30.3 km
Tours railway station
15.7 km
Brenne Regional Natural Park
65.4 km
Château de Candé
5.2 km
Château de Montsoreau
45.9 km
Château de Tours
16.5 km
Château de Plessis-lez-Tours
14.8 km
Château du Lude
58.5 km
Pont Wilson
16.7 km
Château du Rivau
30.7 km
Basilique Saint-Martin
16 km
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