The garden of France

The Loire Valley boasts a large number of small, historic towns and medium-sized cities renowned for their charm and art de vivre. Orléans, Tours, Blois and Angers each have between 45,000 and 158,000 inhabitants. But the Val de Loire is also a region that has managed to harmonize the needs of its population with the need to preserve an exceptional natural heritage. In Sologne, a natural region par excellence, there are forests covering almost 500,000 hectares, as well as numerous ponds. Not forgetting, of course, the vineyards that take their place on the rolling hills. Sologne is also crossed by the three rivers Beuvron, Cosson and Sauldre. Only 25% of its land is cultivated, offering the chance to wander endlessly in a seemingly untouched nature that remains extremely well preserved. And since we've mentioned ponds, how could we not mention the Brenne region and its thousands of ponds? Taking in the Haut-Berry and Bas-Berry regions, these lands are a veritable paradise for birdwatchers. In the Orléanais region, you'll find the well-watered Gâtinais plateau and France's largest state-owned forest: the Orléans Forest. In Touraine, following the Loire allows you to discover both vineyards and troglodyte walls, in the vicinity of Vouvray, Azay-le-Rideau or Rochecorbon. Troglodytes are a feature of the landscape, and are the result of ancient cavities used to extract the tufa stone used to build the inevitable châteaux and many other dwellings. In Touraine, don't miss the opportunity to explore the south of the département, where you can drive through open fields, discover charming hills and forests around Chinon and Loches. In Maine-et-Loire, where the Loire and its various watercourses run through landscapes that seem to have remained untouched, limestone and tufa soils abound, particularly in the Anjou Blanc region. Vineyards, parks and gardens abound, offering walkers a multitude of opportunities to enter into communion with nature.

Forests for breathing

The Loire Valley lends itself to long, peaceful forest walks. It's a great place to go mushrooming as autumn temperatures begin to drop, but also to cool off on a hot summer's day. There are many ways to discover the forests of the Loire Valley, on foot, by bike or on horseback. The forest in Sologne covers a vast area, and offers a wide variety of trees to contemplate: Scots pine, birch, oak, willow and ferns. A must-see hunting experience in the Sologne forest is listening to the stag bellow, whenever the season lends itself to it. On the Loiret side, the Orléans forest, the largest state forest in France, stretches 60 km between Gien and Orléans. It is made up of three massifs - Orléans, Ingrannes and Lorris - and has the particularity of having preserved wide forest avenues dating back to the era of the great royal hunts. For walkers, there are numerous paths to explore, including by boat, as part of the Orléans canal runs through the area and remains navigable. Pedunculate oaks, birches, Scots pines, beeches, hornbeams and hazelnut trees occupy the ground. In Touraine, the state forest of Loches extends over 3,500 hectares and is a former royal forest. Sessile oak is the dominant species. There are small footpaths for strolling, long avenues and star-shaped crossroads, and superb 17th-century pyramids, the Pyramides de Saint-Quentin, which were used by hunt hunters to find their bearings. The forest is also present on the outskirts of the Tours metropolis, and Tourangeaux and visitors with a sudden urge to stroll among the trees can head to the Bois des Hâtes in Chambray-lès-Tours to contemplate large moorlands, wetlands and have fun recognizing hornbeams, oaks, Scots pines and other Douglas firs. In Anjou, too, you can enjoy the pleasures of the forest. The Chandelais forest massif, between Loir and Loire, is the most remarkable in the region, with over 1,034 hectares of mainly oak and beech trees. Managed by the Office National des Forêts (French National Forestry Office), it boasts a wide variety of habitats and is a prime location for mushroom picking. Numerous picnic areas have also been set up for families and friends to enjoy some gourmet moments in contact with nature.

The Loire and other rivers

Of course, you can't talk about geography in the Loire Valley without mentioning the Loire, France's longest river at 1,020 km. A wild river, its harmonious curves blend perfectly with the landscape. Before taking its present form, we have to go back several million years, when the sea covered the Loire Valley. From this period, the region has preserved the tuffeau found on the hillsides, as well as the limestone of the gâtines. The Loire is the last wild river in Western Europe, with a course that remains free, offering walkers along the Loire axis the chance to contemplate a multitude of semi-humid environments where numerous plant and animal species live side by side. In fact, some of these wetlands are in danger of disappearing from the planet! While the Loire may flood in winter, in summer it becomes a veritable river of sand. Numerous sandbanks are taken over by locals and visitors alike, who come to lay down their towels and soak up the sun in a beach-like atmosphere. When it comes to swimming, the Loire features whirlpools, siphons and quicksand. Always be extremely vigilant and follow the instructions of the authorities to avoid putting yourself in danger. The Loire also has the particularity of revealing islands, some of which are completely wild. Some are ideal for walking, others for living. Béhuard springs to mind, an inhabited Loire island some twenty kilometers from Angers, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Loire Valley also boasts a number of rivers and streams that offer an alternative to spending time on the banks of the Loire. The Loiret, Indre, Cher and Maine are all rivers not to be missed, for their fauna, flora and peaceful atmosphere. Like the Loire, they are also popular with fishermen, who can relax on them or cook up some freshwater fish at home afterwards.

Mysterious cave walls

As mentioned above, troglodytes are a precious legacy of the time when the Loire Valley was covered by the sea. Hard to imagine for some, but yes, the Loire Valley was for a time a vast part of the ocean that gradually retreated. Tuffeau was quarried in these troglodytes to build some of the finest châteaux and edifices in the Loire Valley. The châteaux of Chambord, Chenonceau, Blois, Amboise, Saumur and the Abbey of Fontevraud shine with the prestigious white stone that adorns them. A stone that can be reworked by stonemasons to withstand the ravages of time and the vagaries of the weather, thus preserving its ancestral beauty. As you explore the troglodytic caves of Touraine and Anjou, you'll discover prehistoric seabeds, sculptures and ancient communes. Here and there, a veritable underground world is revealed. As you make your way down the slopes along the Loire, you're often struck by the astonishing rock faces that make up the landscape, and which today serve functions that vary from place to place. This is why some people choose to live and make their homes here. That's why it's not unusual to see flowering doors and windows along the way. Places like the Goupillières troglodytic valley offer a glimpse of traditional Touraine peasant dwellings from the Middle Ages. Those who wish to do so can also put down their suitcases and spend the night, as chambres d'hôtes are also available to holidaymakers, as in Doué-la-Fontaine and the Saumur area. The coolness of the caves also makes them ideal for growing certain foods and preserving wine. So you can visit a mushroom farm or take part in a cellar tour followed by a wine tasting session. Rocks have also been the source of many beautiful works of art. A stroll through Dénezé-sous-Doué reveals the Cave aux sculptures, a unique work of art in the West, with astonishing figures and animals dating from centuries past, but for which archaeological work has yet to reveal precise dates.