Category: Loire Valley
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Fontevraud Abbey: Where the Plantagenet Kings Rest
Fontevraud Abbey holds the tombs of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart. Here is what to see and how to visit.
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The Loire Valley Châteaux: How France’s Kings Built a Royal Playground
For 200 years, France’s kings built their palaces in the Loire Valley. Discover the story of Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, and the women who shaped them.
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The French Renaissance: How Italy Transformed France
In the summer of 1494, a young French king crossed the Alps with an army and returned home carrying something far more enduring than military glory. Charles VIII had gone to Italy to press a dynastic claim to Naples. What he brought back instead was a vision of a world remade — one of marble…
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Loire Valley Road Trip: The Complete Guide to France’s Château Country
Plan your Loire Valley road trip with this complete guide to châteaux, wine, routes, and the best places to stay in France’s Château Country.
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Loire Valley Travel Guide: France’s Perfect Château Road Trip
Plan your Loire Valley visit with our complete travel guide: the best châteaux to explore, wines to taste, when to go and how to get there from Paris.
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A Loire Valley Road Trip from Paris: The Complete Guide
Plan the perfect Loire Valley road trip from Paris. Our complete guide covers the best châteaux, routes, and practical tips for US travellers in 2026.
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French Surnames of the Loire Valley: Origins, Meanings and F
The Loire Valley holds a special place in French history. Kings built their grandest châteaux here. Artists crossed the Alps to work here. Explorers set sail from port towns along the river. For centuries, ordinary families lived, worked, and raised children along this great waterway — leaving behind surnames that still carry their stories today.…
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Loire Valley Travel Guide: France’s Royal Valley and Its Secrets
Explore the Loire Valley — the châteaux, the wine, and why French kings spent two centuries here instead of Paris — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why Sancerre Is the One Loire Valley Wine Village Worth Seeking Out
Discover why this hilltop Loire Valley village produces one of France’s most celebrated white wines — and why serious wine lovers keep coming back — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why French Kings Kept Fleeing Paris for the Loire Valley
Discover the power struggles, royal rivalries, and dramatic histories behind the Loire Valley châteaux that shaped France — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
