Christmas at Chenonceau

The Chateau of Chenonceau is always beautifully presented, but at Christmas time they really pull out all the stops. The floral arrangements in every room get sparklier and are joined by Christmas trees and other seasonal foliage.

If you are visiting the Loire Valley in December and early January why not book a walking tour with Susan at the most splendid chateau of them all. Learn history in the most glorious surroundings, and as a bonus you will see for yourself how wonderful the decorations and floral arrangements are. Email us or contact us using our contact form to check available dates and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions or would like a tour tailored to your particular interests or situation.

It's Not All About the Chateaux

The Loire Valley is famous for its Renaissance chateaux, and rightly so. But lovers of modern art history can find plenty to thrill them here too. For example, the 20th century sculptors Alexander Calder and Max Ernst lived and worked here for many years. Works by both of them are dotted about in the towns and villages and visitors are astounded at the level of respect these sculptures receive.

If you love modern art as much as the more distant past, email us or send us a message on our contact form and we will be delighted to include some 20th century masterpieces on your customised itinerary.

Saving Local Heritage

At Loire Valley Time Travel we don't just expect heritage sites to be maintained for the benefit of our clients. We are actively involved in saving local heritage. At the moment we are working with our local history society to raise the funds to conserve the Chapel of All Saints in the village where we live.

At the request of several expat contacts we organised a site visit for English speaking medieval history enthusiasts. We asked Jean-Philippe Barthel, the architect who is leading the restoration project for the chapel to come down from Blois to explain the work planned and explain why this obscure chapel in a rural village is important. He was delighted to do so, donating his time, and those who joined us on the visit were absolutely enchanted by this small delapidated building. Susan provided translation services and hopefully this outreach will result in the chapel being more widely appreciated and perhaps some more badly needed funds. We were happy to take the initiative and organise the event and will be following the work closely.

If you would like to join a pair of passionate local historians and gain insights into the Loire Valley that you just won't get elsewhere, email us or send us a message on our contact form and book a tour.

Karaoke at the Chateau

Because we specialise in small group tours we go to places the big groups don't. These are often owned by marvellous characters who are as much worth visiting as the places they live in. For example, earlier this year we visited the little known chateau of Montrésor. The owner is an ebullient eccentric who loves inviting people to visit his family's unique chateau, a time capsule from the middle of the 19th century stuffed with art treasures.

 DJ for a day. The owner of the Chateau spinning disks

When we got there the owner and our very outgoing Texan clients got talking about Frank Sinatra, a singer they all adored. The owner of the chateau insisted on putting on one of his favourite Sinatra records and playing full blast out the window! Our clients immediately went into karaoke mode!! And much laughter and fun ensued. They've had a visit they will never forget.

Our clients waving to the chateau own whilst dancing

If you would like a personalised visit to the Loire Valley, with the chance of meeting some kind and wonderful locals who love to make your visit special, email us or contact us using our contact form. We will plan a tour just for you.