Indre-et-Loire is a rural area, and a good number of the inhabitants are involved in wine production. It is also reputedly the area where the 'purest' French can be heard. This part of France is famed for its châteaux but there are other things to see here too, such as the ancient craft of basketry in Villaines-les-Rochers. In Tours, there is a museum dedicated to the Compagnonnage du Tour de France, a society dedicated to craftsmanship, be it the building trade, jewellers, mechanics, bakers and other professionals.

The chenin blanc grape gives us the crisp and sparkling white wines of Touraine; the famous wines of Vouvray come from vineyards near the River Loire. The region is probably better known for its wines than its cheeses but there are some remarkably good local ones. There are various types of goat cheese, including crottin de Chavignol and Ste-Maure, Olivet cheeses and of course Port-Salut.

In 1990 an association of parks and gardens was created to promote the many hitherto unknown but lovely gardens in Central France. Herb gardens, rose gardens, arboretums and even a garden boasting more than 600 varieties of tomato all feature here. There are many splendid châteaux in the Loire Valley, including the beautiful Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau and the Château d'Ussé. The gardens of Villandry are unsurpassed; designed by Carvallo, who bought the château some 100 years ago, the gardens were also some of the first to open to the public. Another curiosity of the area is the leaning tower at Chanteloup, built by the Duc de Choiseul.


Credit photo: Laurent Massillon / CRT Centre-Val de Loire