Tag: Loire Valley
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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 Family Heritage
Discover the most common French surnames of the Loire Valley — their meanings, Frankish and Latin roots, and how Loire Valley families shaped New France and French Canada.
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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 Two Women Fought Over the Most Beautiful Château in France
Discover how a royal mistress and a queen fought over Château de Chenonceau — and how their centuries-long rivalry shaped the Loire Valley’s most beautiful castle — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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The Jura Valley That France Forgot to Put on Its Tourist Map
Discover the Jura, France’s most overlooked mountain region. Rolling hills, ancient cheese caves, wild waterfalls, and yellow wine the world rarely tastes — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why Nantes Is the One French City Most Visitors Never Think to Visit
Discover why Nantes — home to a giant mechanical elephant and Jules Verne’s birthplace — is France’s most underrated city to visit — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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The French Wine Rebellion That’s Changing How the World Drinks
Discover the Loire Valley, Beaujolais, and Jura producers driving France’s natural wine revolution — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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The Loire Valley Villages That Most Visitors Never Even Notice
Discover the smaller Loire Valley villages that most tourists drive straight past — Montrésor, Langeais, Candes-Saint-Martin, and Lavardin — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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The Double Helix Staircase at Chambord — and the Leonardo da Vinci Theory
The Loire Valley’s Château de Chambord holds a double helix staircase linked to Leonardo da Vinci. Explore its 500-year mystery — free in our newsletter.
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The Château Where a French King Had His Greatest Enemy Stabbed to Death
In 1588, a French king lured his greatest rival to Château de Blois and had him stabbed to death. You can still visit the room where it happened.