(coming soon)
Châteaux
The areas on either side of the Loire already had settlements and productive vineyards when Julius Caesar’s legions arrived to conquer Gaul more than 2,000 years ago. These central provinces would later be home to kings and the wealthiest inhabitants of what came to be known collectively as La France. Because of this elite group of denizens, the Renaissance, when it arrived from Italy, first took hold in the Loire Valley.
Even after the French moved their capital from there to Paris, French kings and Parisian nobles would return to the region for recreation and a respite from busy life in the city. Their grand country castles remain today, with some available as high-end lodging.
