Alexander Calder at Hôtel Goüin, Tours.

The Hôtel Goüin is one of Tours’ most distinctive historic buildings, dating from the 15th century and now used for temporary exhibitions. This autumn it is part of the major Alexander Calder programme across the Centre-Val de Loire, with an exhibition of more than fifty works on paper, photographs and other works running until January 2027. A monumental Calder stabile is also installed in the courtyard.

With some events in Tours affected by the current unrest, it is worth checking arrangements before setting out. The Calder exhibition at the Hôtel Goüin is currently maintaining its published schedule.

Calder in Touraine

Calder in Centre-Val de Loire

Hope your week ends well and it's followed by a lovely weekend.

Part of the “Bon weekend from the Loire” Series

Each Friday, we share a quiet moment from the Loire — a region that invites you to unwind, a beautiful weekend at a time.

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A view from a bridge.

Standing on the bridge in Preuilly-sur-Claise, a classic Touraine view unfolds: soft October light, traditional slate roofs, and a lamppost dressed in a cascade of flowers. The Loire countryside feels gently timeless here quiet streets, brick and stone houses and that unmistakable sense of unhurried French village life.

“In Touraine, even the silence tells a story.”

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Part of the “Taken in Touraine” Series

Every Thursday, we pause somewhere in Touraine — a village, a vineyard, or a quiet riverside — to capture the spirit of this timeless Loire region.

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Rapunzel’s Window in Barrou.

High above the ground, a small dormer window rises from the steep slate roof of this house on the Route du Moulin à Vent in Barrou in Southern Touraine. With its rounded turret, pointed roof and solitary upper window, it has all the ingredients for a Loire Valley version of a Rapunzel tower. 

“Through every window,the Loire Valley breathes — calm, patient, and quietly luminous.”

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Part of the “Windows of the Loire” Series

Each Wednesday, we share a glimpse of the Loire Valley through its windows — small frames of everyday beauty and quiet reflection.

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Crissay-sur-Manse.

Crissay-sur-Manse is one of the villages that gives southern Touraine its distinctive character. Many of its houses date from the 15th and 16th centuries, built in the local tuffeau stone, and the village still retains much of its historic layout.

Above the village are the remains of Château de Crissay, built on the site of an earlier fortress, while the 16th-century church of Saint-Maurice stands slightly apart from the main group of houses. Crissay’s period of greatest development came in the 15th and 16th centuries, when the village acquired many of the buildings that survive today.

Part of the “Towns & Villages of the Loire” Series

Exploring the towns and villages of the Loire Valley — their streets, stories, and quiet beauty.

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Monday's chateau - Chateau de Villandry.

Château de Valençay combines the strength of a medieval fortress with the elegance of the Renaissance. The present château was built in stages for the d’Estampes family from the early 16th century, with later additions giving the building the form we see today.

Its story took another turn in 1803 when Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord acquired Valençay. Under Talleyrand, the château became a setting for diplomacy and, from 1808 to 1814, the residence of the Spanish princes held there by Napoleon.

Happy Monday in the Loire Valley!

“Each château tells a story — of kings, of artists, and of the dream of France itself.”

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Part of the “Châteaux of the Loire” Series

Every Monday, we explore one of the Loire Valley's legendary châteaux — from royal residences to riverside retreats — each revealing a different chapter of the region's story.

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A good place to stop, sit down and let the gardens do the talking.

The gardens of Château de Villandry are designed to be admired, but they are also somewhere to pause. This bench looks out across the quieter parts of the gardens, with the evening autumnal light filtering through the trees.

Sometimes the best part of a garden is simply finding a bench and sitting down for a while.

“On Sundays the Loire Valley speaks softly — and you have time to listen.”

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Part of the “My Sunday Bench” Series

Each Sunday, we share a quiet bench somewhere in the Loire — a small reminder that peace is often found where you simply stop to notice it.

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