Wednesday 13 April 2022

Mushroom Farming in the Loire Valley

The mushroom caves in the Loire Valley are extraordinary places. Originally quarries where the beautiful white limestone used to build the chateaux was extracted, by the end of the 19th century the quarrymen had run out of stone and needed come up with a new way of making a living. The most enterprising learned how to grow mushrooms in these unique places, and one of our most fascinating visits takes us to our favourite mushroom 'farm'. It is one of the last such places still operating, and still in the hands of the family who started it a century ago. They grow top quality mushrooms for high end restaurants and the pharmaceutical industry. Come with us and learn all about how they do it, and the fascinating evolution of the family business.

Underground village, Indre et Loire, France. Photo by Loire Valley Time Travel.
The underground village at our favourite mushroom producers.

To enquire about our private guided tours of chateaux, wineries, markets and more email us or use our contact form. More tour ideas can be found on the Loire Valley Time Travel website. If you would like an idea of how your tour might look and sound, please check out our YouTube channel.