Signpost Guide Loire Valley

by Thomas Cook Publishing

• ISBN13: 9780762712519
• ISBN10: 0762712511
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2002-06-01
• Publisher: Thomas Cook Publishing

Summary

People who travel by car have the best opportunities to explore beyond typical tourist destinations, but driving in an unfamiliar region can be a daunting prospect. New Signpost Guides provide practical information to guide motorists through unfamiliar routes, signs, traffic laws, and parking. Hundreds of attractions are described in detail, together with recommendations for shopping, dining, and accommodations.

Each Signpost Guide features:
-- Full-color, detailed area maps, supported by driving directions and route plans
-- Helpful and practical tips, including average driving times and distances
-- Individual chapters on major cities that supply information essential to getting around without a car
-- Unique ratings system to help travelers sample the very best of each region

Table of Contents

About Signpost Guides	8	(2)
The Loire Valley at a glance	10	(2)
Introduction	12	(2)
Travel facts	14	(10)
Driver's guide	24	(6)
Getting to the Loire Valley	30	(2)
Setting the scene	32	(10)
Highlights	42	(2)
Tours	44	(10)
The Loire Valley's capital, civilised and smart
The Grand Chateaux: Tours-Blois	54	(16)
The playground of Renaissance royalty retains all of its appeal
The Grand Chateaux: Tours-Chinon	70	(12)
On the trail of Sleeping Beauty
Chinon	82	(10)
Where Joan of Arc stepped into history and Richard the Lionheart lay in state
South Touraine	92	(12)
A region of ancient fortifications and excellent wines
Chinon-Saumur	104	(14)
Underground surprises, with much to discover within its limestone caves
Saumur	118	(10)
The `white city' where wine and horses reign supreme
The Western Chateaux	128	(10)
Fortresses and stately homes amid the watery plain
Angers	138	(10)
The heart of Anjou, from where the Plantagenets ruled France and England
Le Loir: Vendome-La Fleche	148	(16)
Quiet and pretty, with troglodyte houses in its riverside cliffs
Le Mans	164	(8)
Roman foundations, medieval buildings and 24-hour endurance races
The Sarthe	172	(12)
Tranquil rivers, forested hills and untouched historic towns
Chartres	184	(10)
A picturesque old town dominated by its glorious cathedral
Eure-et-Lorr	194	(10)
Windmills, wheatfields and undulating forests; an area immortalised by Marcel Proust
Blois	204	(10)
A lively town that retains its Renaissance beauty
Cher and the Sologne	214	(16)
A wilderness area of heaths and ponds, with good cuisine and noble residences
Blois-Orleans	230	(12)
A fertile region, steeped in history and home to Chambord's regal splendour
Orleans	242	(8)
The Loire's most northerly city, with a youthful exuberance and a historic legacy
The Upper Reaches	250	(12)
Handsome towns and ancient bridges, plus the great white wines of Sancerre
Bourges	262	(8)
An outstanding medieval town with good museums and fine cuisine
The Berry	270	(12)
Heartland France - Romanesque treasures and a literary past
Language	282	(1)
Index	283	(4)
Feedback form	287