10% Off offer ends soon

We currently are offering 10% off all 2012 tours booked and paid for before the end of May. This means you only have five days left to book and pay for your tour of the Loire Valley and take advantage of this offer.

So far this year we have been busy, but we still have some availability left for most weeks over summer. To book and take advantage of the 10% offer, email us before the end of this month.

A Bulb Lawn

For those of you who visit in the early spring there is a treat at La Chatonniere. The lawn which stretches down the valley from the front of the house is planted with bulbs. They reveal an intricate design laid out amongst the grass.

The bulb lawn in May.

Gardeners who visit slightly later in the year, when the daffodils and jonquils have finished flowering but the leaves are still there gathering sunlight to create next year's flowers, will appreciate the clever way the garden is presented. The lawn is mowed, but the daffodil leaves are left to form a pattern reminiscent of cut velvet. The high terrace on the slope above the house becomes the perfect viewing platform.

If you would like to see this and other clever design ideas in Loire Valley gardens, email us and we will create a tour full of vegetation!

A Good Reason to Visit in the Low Season

A lot of important conservation work at chateaux takes place between the end of September and the beginning of April. Far from spoiling your visit, this can often enhance it. You can see close up the detailed work of repairing and maintaining these priceless buildings and their contents. Sometimes the conservator is even happy to talk about his or her work and can provide fascinating behind the scenes facts about how a decorative element was made or the particular problems of caring for certain objects.

Refreshing the 17th century painted panels at Cheverny.

October and March are ideal times to visit if you are interested in how the chateaux are cared for. Visitor numbers are low, but the weather is often mild - just the sort of time delicate conservation work will be scheduled. After all you can't do precision work with frozen hands, and many old fashioned materials cannot be used when it is too cold.

If you are interested in the behind the scenes management of historic monuments email us and ask about tours in the spring or autumn. We can't guarantee you will get to talk to a conservator, but we will do our best to give you an idea of what goes in to the care of the wonderful Loire chateaux.