A Benchmark for Potager Gardens

When Joachim Carvallo bought the Villandry estate in 1906 his main objective was to save the building. It was only later, after restoring the chateau to a habitable level that he considered the garden. Faced with a pleasant enough but fairly ordinary 'English park' style garden that was there when the family moved in, he started thinking about the possibility of doing something quite different.

Thus it was that the famous potager was created. Its design influences are from manuscripts and records of Renaissance gardens, a bit of archeology and Joachim's individual vision. The resulting garden is something extra-ordinary, deservedly the most famous garden in France.

Although ordinary domestic potagers are everywhere in France, supplying fruit, vegetables and flowers to almost every rural family in the country, Villandry has created a benchmark for the style outside of France. When visitors think of potagers, what they are really thinking of is Villandry.

If you would like to see for yourself this wonderful and inspiring garden, email us and we will gladly include it in your itinerary.

Weddings, Honeymoons and Proposals of Marriage in the Loire Valley

We don't very often use Célestine or Claudette, our classic Citroën Traction Avant cars, for weddings, unless the couple getting married are celebrating at one of our partner chateaux. If we have a suitable gap in the calender when we are not booked for a tour, we are happy to offer a car and driver at a very reasonable rate. It can be difficult fitting weddings in though, as people get married at the same time as visitors come here on holiday, so we are often too busy to be involved in a couple's special day.

More often we will be asked to design a special day out for a newly married couple on their honeymoon, or someone who wants to 'pop the question' somewhere romantic. With the latter request, we are very happy to leave clients alone for a suitable interval in a rose covered bower at Villandry, for instance. It is best to time these sorts of requests for when the roses are flowering though! (We've had requests to find somewhere romantic to propose in February, and believe me, that isn't so easy!)

If you would like us to design a romantic day in the Loire Valley for you, email us and we will be delighted to take you to some of those charming little corners of France that you've seen in the movies and books.

We're Excellent!

Not to blow our own trumpet (much...) but we're excellent! We've received a certificate from TripAdvisor which says so, and we are thrilled.

The certificate is the result of all our clients who have posted such wonderful reviews about us on the travel forum, and we are very grateful indeed to anyone who takes the time to write a review.

The Certificate of Excellence is issued to the top 10% of tourist businesses world wide. TripAdvisor reviews are tremendously influential and most of our clients have chosen us because they have read our many very positive reviews on TripAdvisor.

If you would like to experience what our previous clients rave about, email us and we will design a tour to suit you, using our extensive network of local contacts and knowledge. We love to show visitors the best the Loire Valley has to offer, and to take people to places both world famous and those lesser known gems that are only known to the locals.