A street for Heritage Weekend...

A peaceful tree-lined walk at Mail du Donjon in Loches leads directly to one of the Loire Valley’s most impressive medieval keeps.

During the European Heritage Days weekend the Donjon de Loches is free to enter (Saturday and Sunday), making it the perfect moment to climb the massive stone tower and enjoy the views. The approach itself is already worth the visit.

So much on offer this weekend...

We find best place for information is here: This is for Touraine but you can search other departments on this site.

“The streets here don’t hurry. They simply invite you to walk, to notice, to belong.”

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Part of the “On the Streets of Touraine” Series

Each Saturday, we stroll through the lanes and cobbles of Loire towns and villages — places where every step feels like a story.

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Loire Valley: European Heritage weekend 2026...what's on.

This weekend, 19–20 September 2026, is the perfect opportunity to discover—or rediscover—the remarkable heritage of the Loire Valley and Centre-Val de Loire.

European Heritage Days invite visitors to explore the region's rich cultural heritage, from magnificent châteaux and historic monuments to museums, gardens, churches, villages and places that reveal the stories of the people who shaped the region.

The Loire Valley is particularly rich in heritage, and this special weekend offers the chance to look beyond the best-known sights and discover places and events you may not have encountered before.

Whether you're a long-time resident or visiting the region for the weekend, take the opportunity to explore somewhere new and experience the heritage of Centre-Val de Loire.

We find best place for information is here: This is for Indre-et-Loire but you can search other departments on this site.

Bon week-end — and happy heritage hunting!

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.

Discover more from the Loire

© Experience Loire — Have a good weekend from the Loire · Back to Home

A garden well cared for...

Evidence of the hard work of the proud, hardworking gardeners of Descartes. The Jardin Public René Boylesve covers around 15,000 m² and includes a medieval garden and a rose garden laid out in the former château's moat. The park is maintained with 10,000 annual plants alongside a varied collection of trees, including sequoia, ginkgo and persimmon planted in the 19th century.

After a difficult summer,the gardeners who keep Descartes looking its best should be applauded.

Good images of the gardens here.

“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.

Discover more about the Loire Valley
Browse the full series

© Experience Loire — Taken in Touraine · Back to Home

Looking Across the Loire to Saint-Liphard in Meung-sur-Loire.

There is something unusual about Saint-Liphard that isn't immediately obvious from this view. The church has a trefoil-shaped plan, created by its transept ending in semicircular apses. The arrangement is described as unique in the region and is more commonly associated with churches in northern France and the Rhineland.

The story behind the church goes back much further. Liphard, a 6th-century hermit associated with Meung, was buried here, and an oratory was built over his tomb. A Romanesque church followed in the 10th century, while the present structure incorporates later Gothic alterations. The church became a collegiate church in 1068. 

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

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

Browse the full series

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A chateau with two architectural faces - Meung-sur-Loire

 The original fortress was built for the bishops of Orléans, with the surviving medieval structure dating largely from the 13th century. Then, centuries later, the bishops transformed it into a much more comfortable residence. In the 18th century, Fleuriau d’Armonville added the grand façade and major extensions, followed later by a chapel and vestibule. The result is the rather striking contrast seen here: 18th-century château designed for more civilised living, joined to a medieval fortress with its defensive towers.

Chateau website here:

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.

Discover more about the Loire Valley

Browse the full series

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Best bench view at Château de Chambord.

From here the grounds of Chateau de Chambord feel almost private. The famous forest of chimneys stand in the distance while this simple wooden bench offers the best seat in the house. The light moves slowly across the façade and for a moment the vast royal hunting lodge feels less like a monument and more like a quiet companion for anyone willing to sit and simply look.

“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.

Explore more moments from the Loire

© Experience Loire — My Sunday bench · Back to Home

A street named for a medieval poet...

Rue Jehan de Meung runs through the historic centre of Meung-sur-Loire, carrying the name of one of the town's most famous sons. Jehan de Meung, born here around 1240, was the medieval poet who wrote the much longer second part of Le Roman de la Rose, adding some 18,000 lines to the work begun by Guillaume de Lorris.

Today the street is a much more practical affair, with shops and local businesses lining the route through the town. But the name keeps Jehan de Meung firmly present in the town he came from.

A street named after a 13th-century poet, a traditional half-timbered building housing a boulangerie, and even the town's primary school carries the name Jehan-de-Meung. Meung-sur-Loire clearly hasn't forgotten its literary son.

“The streets here don’t hurry. They simply invite you to walk, to notice, to belong.”

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Part of the “On the Streets of Touraine” Series

Each Saturday, we stroll through the lanes and cobbles of Loire towns and villages — places where every step feels like a story.

See more from Experience Loire

© Experience Loire — On the Streets of the Loire · Back to Home

Bon week-end from Place du Martroi, Orléans

Place du Martroi is the principal square in the centre of Orléans, and at its heart stands the city's famous equestrian statue of Joan of Arc, created by Denis Foyatier and inaugurated in 1855. The square itself is considerably older, although it did not exist in its present form when Joan came to Orléans in 1429.

The name Martroi comes from martyrium, and the site has a long and rather varied history. It was once associated with a cemetery, later became a grain market and during the Revolution the guillotine was erected here. Today it is a largely pedestrianised meeting place, with the tram quietly crossing the square. 

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.

Discover more from the Loire

© Experience Loire — Have a good weekend from the Loire · Back to Home

Quiet waterway in Beaulieu-lès-Loches.

This peaceful waterway is a medieval canal dug by the monks of the great abbey founded by Fulk Nerra in the early 11th century.

It diverted the Indre to power a series of mills and still runs gently through the heart of this Petite Cité de Caractère, just across the meadows from the royal town of Loches.

“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.

Discover more about the Loire Valley
Browse the full series

© Experience Loire — Taken in Touraine · Back to Home

Windows & Balconies of the Loire: Inside Out at Château de Chambord.

Inside out at Château de Chambord. Usually we look through a window to see inside a building, but here the view works just as well in reverse. The leaded glass frames Chambord's formal French gardens, drawing the eye along the central axis towards the château's grounds.

The gardens themselves have a long history. Planned under Louis XIV, completed during the reign of Louis XV, and laid out in their 18th-century form in 1734, they eventually disappeared beneath simpler lawns. The formal gardens were restored and replanted in 2016–17, reopening to visitors in March 2017.

A rather good example of how, at Chambord, the view from a window can be as carefully composed as the view of the building itself.

“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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Quiet Morning on Place du Marché aux Fleurs, Loches

On a non-market day the Place du Marché aux Fleurs in Loches feels almost suspended in time, wide open cobbles, long shadows from the trees and just the soft echo of footsteps where the stalls usually stand.

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

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

Browse the full series

© Experience Loire — Towns & Villages of the Loire · Back to Home

By the 'kiosque à musique' in Beaulieu-lès-Loches

A bench in front of the elegant 'kiosque à musique' in Beaulieu-lès-Loches which dates from the early 20th century. Completed in 1909 it stands on what is now Place du Maréchal Leclerc, beside the former abbey buildings that became the town hall.

The kiosk is still very much part of village life. Concerts and other events continue to take place beneath it, including summer music events. Beaulieu's own heritage guide lists the kiosk among the highlights of this Petite Cité de Caractère®, alongside its medieval heritage and the Grand Clocher.

“On Sundays, the Loire 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.

Explore more moments from the Loire

© Experience Loire — My Sunday bench · Back to Home