Châteaux

The Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, entwined in the arms of the river Indre. Visit its lavishly furnished rooms and watch the "Imaginaires d'Azay-le-Rideau" present their unique show in the grounds at nightfall.
The Château d'Ussé: a majestic fairytale castle towering over terraces designed by le Notre.
Site of the 2003 exhibition "Fashion from 1910 to 1940"
The Château de Saché, where Balzac wrote "The Lily in the Valley". Discover its 1830 interior, portraits of the author and a number of his manuscripts and letters.
The Manoir de Vonnes will enchant you as it did Balzac, who chose it as the setting for his heroine's residence in " Le Lys de la Vallée" (The Lily of the Valley).
The Château de Valesne: headquarters of the Centre International Pro Musicis, and an inspiration for Balzac's novel "The Lily of the Valley"
The Château de Langeais: a mediaeval castle with a magnificent drawbridge and a remarkable collection of 15th and 16th century tapestries.
The Château de la Cour au Berruyer in Cheillé.

Gardens

Villandry: a magnificent testimony to Renaissance architecture and garden design. Come and see the astonishing vegetable garden, water garden, plant maze, entertainments and festivals.
La Chatonnière: nestling at the heart of a romantic, hidden valley a small Renaissance château lives on, surrounded by elegant, manicured gardens brimming with flowers. Rose and Lily festival in June
Le Rivau: landscaped grounds surrounding a fortified castle. Don't miss the magical floral carpet and tree-lined driveways edged with perennial planting, symbolic of ancient plants.

Museums and Eco-museums

The Musée Dufresne in the Moulin de Marnay (Marnay Mill), where you will find a huge collection of machines and vehicles: a celebration of modern technology.
The Musée du Jouet (Toy Museum) in Azay-le-Rideau, for collectors and enthusiasts of miniature toys.
The Maison du Meunier (Miller's House) in the famous Pont-de-Ruan mills, mentioned in Balzac's novels.
The Musée de la Poire Tapée at Rivarennes. "Poires tapées"- traditional, oven-dried pears, are a delicious speciality of the Azay-le-Rideau region
The Musée de la Vannerie (Basketwork Museum) at Villaines-les-Rochers. A fabulous exploration of basket-making techniques.
The Musée de Géologie (Geological Museum) at Neuil, with its displays of fossils and prehistoric artefacts: the fruits of 35 years of research by local enthusiasts.
The Musée des Trains et Transports miniatures (Museum of Trains and Miniature Transport) at Savigné sur Lathan, beautiful trains of the past and present.

Places of interest or natural beauty

Villaines-les-Rochers, the village of wickerwork and cave-dwellings. Discover the world of basketwork and wicker, with its basketwork cooperative, basketwork museum and numerous working craftsmen and women
The troglodytic valley of des Goupillères, a picturesque setting for an exploration of underground refuges and the lives of mediaeval countryfolk.
The grottes pétrifiantes (Petrifying Caves) of Savonnières, a world of shadows and light, water and stone.
The Maison de la Rivière (River House) in Chinon, to discover the world of inland water transport and the Rivers Loire and Vienne.
The champignonnière (mushroom beds) of Saut aux loups, where you will recapture the spirit of a secretive profession and savour the atmosphere of a world of silence

Leisure Parks

The Zoo de Doué la Fontaine: witness the daily lives of the animals in a site dedicated to endangered species.
Rochemenier the most complete troglodytic village in the Loire Valley.
The Zoo Parc de Beauval with its 3500 animals will transport you around the world deep into the heart of the continents