Travel
The Loire Valley: A trip where the river sets the paceChâteaux, wine and medieval squares - why this French region deserves a spot on your travel list
Añádenos en Google The town of Amboise, on the banks of the River Loire, oozes with history. (Erin Fisher)Erin Fisher
29/05/2026 a las 12:04h.There is a particular warmth in the Loire Valley that is difficult to explain. It is soft and airy in a way that makes even an ordinary afternoon feel unhurried. I noticed it the moment I arrived as a student, stepping off the plane into Tours for the first time, and it has stayed with me ever since.
The French have a phrase for it: la douceur, meaning the sweetness of the place. Spend a few days here and you begin to understand why this stretch in the western centre of France earned its Unesco World Heritage status not merely for the multitude of châteaux, but for its entire way of life.
At the heart of it all is the Loire itself, the longest river in France, its constant stream sets the pace while the herons stay motionless at the water’s edge. The region is abundant with chateaux and vineyards tumbling across the valley as it invites visitors to slow down and enjoy the views with a glass of wine. There will also be the opportunity to sample local cuisine such as goat’s cheese, tarte tatin or rillones, a pork belly dish.
Tours offers the ideal hub to enjoy all that the area has to offer, the highlights of the city are undoubtedly the old town filled with picturesque timber-framed buildings. Visit the Place Plumereau, affectionately referred to by locals as “La Plume”, as it transforms throughout the day. It begins as a prime spot to people-watch over a café au lait and smell the wafts of baked goods coming from the boulangeries, by night it is filled with laughter as crowds fill the tables outside the bars along the surrounding lanes. It is the kind of square that makes you instinctively slow down, check your watch, and decide there is no particular rush.
Chateaux
For those seeking to soak in the culture, the Loire Valley boasts over 300 chateaux that fan out in every direction, but there are two that shouldn’t be missed. Château de Chambord, about an hour east, is the Loire’s most dramatic edifice: an extravagantly ornamented, enormous palace that stops you in your tracks to take plenty of photographs.
Built for François I as a hunting lodge, it rises from flat woodland like something from a fairy tale. Climb to the rooftop terrace, where a forest of chimneys and turrets stretches in every direction, and imagine what it was like for a sixteenth-century visitor encountering it for the first time. This is made much easier by the medieval reenactments that help visitors truIy immerse themselves in the era. As well as this, in the winter months, Chambord is transformed by spectacular Christmas decorations, making it a particularly magical visit for those travelling out of season.
In a striking contrast, Château de Chenonceau is intimate and breathtaking in equal measure. It straddles the Cher, a tributary of the Loire, on a series of elegant arches and reflectts the remarkable women such as Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, each of whom left their mark on the gardens and galleries over the centuries. Take a half hour train from the city of Tours to explore the landscape above the river on a quiet morning.
The timber-framed buildings in Place Plumereau in Tours old town. (Erin Fisher)The small town of Amboise combines visiting castles with the charm of exploring cobbled streets filled with boulangeries and boutique shops. It also oozes with history as the area where Leonardo da Vinci spent the final years of his life. The King gifted him Château du Clos Lucé, which is now a museum to learn more about the artist’s life. Wander the old town before the tour groups arrive and it has an easy, unaffected charm, with the river glittering at the end of every side alley.
Of course, there is also the wine of the region. Vouvray, Chinon, Saumur: the Loire produces bottles that are some of the most underrated in France. A tasting at one of the cave cellars cut into the tuffeau cliffs, cool even in midsummer, smelling faintly of stone and oak, is the kind of peaceful afternoon that stretches into the evening. Nobody will judge you for a second glass of chenin blanc.
The Loire Valley is not a frantic destination. There are no crowds jostling for the best view, no queues snaking around the block. What it offers instead is something that feels increasingly rare: a place that genuinely rewards slowing down, following the river, and letting the afternoon go where it will.
From Malaga, Tours can be reached via a flight to Paris and then pick up the high speed TGV train which takes around an hour. Or for the more bold, it could make a perfect weekend stop on a longer road trip.