An Animal Loving Chateau in the Loire Valley

All over the grounds of the Chateau of Chenonceau there are signs that the management and staff love animals. There are horses in the carpark, donkeys in a field and a sign at the entrance telling dog owners to respect the resident ginger cat, Noisette. Dog owners are also informed that if they choose to leave their dog in their car rather than bring it in to the chateau on a lead, they risk having their car windows broken if the staff think the dog is suffering. On a more amusing note, there are speed limit signs warning drivers that hedgehogs and cats may be crossing. We think this chateau, and others, such as Cheverny, are a delight for animal loving visitors.

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.

Tours, Gastronomic Centre of the Loire Valley

Tours is one of the officially designated Cités des gastronomie (Gastronomic Cities) in France, along with Dijon, Lyon and Paris Rungis. If you love food, Tours is a great place to come. It sits in the centre of the 'Garden of France', so called for centuries, not because the Loire Valley has beautiful ornamental gardens, but because it is full of market gardens. That's much more important from a French perspective! Tours and the surrounding area where we take visitors has many, many restaurants dedicated to serving traditional dishes made from fresh local ingredients. Our tours include lunch in one or other of these restaurants.

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.

Vegetables at Villandry

Many of our clients want to see the famous gardens at Villandry. You don't have to be a keen gardener yourself to appreciate the full effect of the colours and patterns here, all cleverly achieved with vegetables and box hedging. We are often asked if the chateau uses their homegrown produce in their café. The answer is no, but if you would like to find out what really happens to all the vegetables and how they manage the garden, book a tour with us. The answers will surprise you.

Peppers grown in the Villandry gardens.

If you would like to see for yourself this wonderful and inspiring garden, email us or use our contact form. and we will gladly include it in your itinerary. More tour ideas can be found on the Loire Valley Time Travel website.