The Loire Valley, amidst châteaux and vines

In the eastern part of the Loire Valley, there are at least two castles you won’t want to miss. First, the Château de Gien, a stately home that has continually changed vocation. Once used as a main residence, then as a hunting lodge and later an administrative centre, the building has known many lives! It has even experienced conflict, when the town was bombed by the Germans during the Second World War. Much of the town was destroyed, but the castle escaped the worst. The Château de Gien is thus still standing today and now houses a hunting museum.

Next, set out to discover the Château de Sully-sur-Loire and the vast estate surrounding the dwelling. The castle has seen many illustrious guests come and go, such as Louis XIV, who went into exile during the Fronde, and Voltaire, who was invited to wait out his exile here by the regent of the time: Philippe d’Orléans.

While you are in the region, take the opportunity to discover the fascinating Centre-Loire terroir. Several highly reputed AOCs lie behind this denomination, including Sancerre, Pouilly, Quincy, Reuilly and Côteaux du Giennois. Here, dry white wine has pride of place. It is best enjoyed with your main course.

If you’re staying at Yelloh! Village Parc du Val de Loire, you’ll have the chance to visit the Touraine. This area is home to some of the most majestic Châteaux of the Loire. Chambord, Blois, Amboise, Cheverny, Ussé, Chenonceau, Chaumont, Clos-Lucé... names you have probably heard before because their reputation reaches well beyond the French borders. With their architecture and gardens – at times immense, at times more quaint – they will each leave you awestruck during your visits.

On one of your visits or at the end of a day, a tasting of the Touraine wines will make the experience even more special. Contrary to the Centre-Loire, here you’ll find red, as well as white and rosé. The terroir encompasses 17 appellations and 5 different denominations, but they all have one thing in common: the wines are bursting with fruity flavours that go wonderfully with meat and cheese.

If you’re keen to find out more, the Vouvray cellar is open for visits. Discover the different steps involved in producing quality wine, from vine to bottle!

As the name of this vineyard suggests, you’ll be able to discover two towns during a trip to the Maine-et-Loire: Angers and Saumur. They each have a superb castle, though each has its own style. The architecture of Saumur’s château is a blend of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, whereas the château in Angers is entirely medieval.

If you have the time, the surrounding area is also stunning. Make the most of well-known mild Anjou climate for a walk in the countryside, along one of the river’s banks, for example. Or why not wander among the vines? You won’t regret it as the Anjou-Saumur vineyard is one of the most diverse in the Loire Valley.

Here, you can taste every kind of wine: white, red, rosé, sparkling, sweet, dry, or syrupy… there’s something for everyone! You can thus enjoy a glass of the well-known Cabernet d’Anjou. But you can also discover some less familiar, often very pleasant appellations, such as Savennières.

If you continue your journey along the Loire, you’ll come to its estuary in the Loire-Atlantique. Here, you can visit all of the area’s castles… as there are only two of them!

Head for Château de Goulaine, a lovely residence listed as a historical monument since 1913, and which takes its architectural codes from the most famous abodes of the Renaissance. What is also interesting about the Château de Goulaine is that it has its own vineyards and thus its own wine. The ideal place to combine our two themes!

The second castle is in the city of Nantes, where you can admire the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany. Its boundary wall recalls its medieval origins, while the rest of the property was modernised during the Renaissance, giving it the distinctive style of the period. Its presence also fuels an ongoing debate: is Nantes part of Brittany or not? Although the city is no longer part of the administrative region of Brittany, some people continue to dispute this fact.

Finally, let’s indulge in one last tasting session! It will be an easy choice as the Pays Nantais area is Muscadet territory. This well-known dry white wine with its floral notes is obtained using a single grape variety, the Melon de Bourgogne. And the least we can say is that it’s very popular!

So, have you worked up a thirst now? Then it’s time to book your stay at a Yelloh! Village campsite in the Loire Valley and make the most of all the valley has to offer. You mustn’t overdo it with the wine, but you can savour unlimited enjoyment from the castles!