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

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.”

---

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

Taken in Touraine - staying in Descartes.

Despite the recent difficult weather conditions, due to the diligent gardeners there, the flower beds in the public gardens in Descartes were looking remarkably good on Monday. The garden has a particularly varied planting scheme, including a rose garden in the old castle ditches, making it one of those places where the history is beneath your feet but the horticulture is very much of the present day.

You can see more images here.

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

---

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

Taken in Touraine: La Poterne and Château du Lion, Preuilly-sur-Claise

There is rather more history behind this view than the reconstructed château might suggest. Today the 'Musée de la Poterne' occupies the former southern gateway of the Château du Lion, a building that later served as the town prison. Today, its collections tell a rather different story, with local archaeology and everyday life alongside a particularly interesting collection of Touraine lace and traditional headdresses. One room is devoted to the headdresses and lace, arranged to illustrate different stages of daily life.

The château behind it was reconstructed in the early 20th century on the site of the medieval fortress. The original castle had endured several sieges during the Hundred Years' War before being taken and dismantled by the English.

It is a good example of Preuilly-sur-Claise, where fragments of the medieval town sit alongside later buildings and reconstructions.

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

---

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

The Hart of the matter - Taken in Touraine

Standing before the Royal Lodgings of Loches, the striking Cerf Ailé (Winged Hart) creates an unexpected meeting between medieval history and contemporary art. It has become a memorable welcome for visitors exploring one of France's most important royal residences.

The winged hart is far more than a modern sculpture. The hart was the personal emblem of King Charles VI, symbolising nobility and resilience, while the addition of wings gives this contemporary artwork a sense of freedom and imagination. Set against the 15th-century Royal Lodgings, it beautifully bridges six centuries of French history.

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

---

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

A favourite little bridge - taken in Touraine.

The little bridge over Le Bignon at Paulmy is one of those quiet corners that visitors often discover by chance. Beside the village's plan d'eau (recreational lake), it provides a pleasant place to pause before continuing through the gentle countryside of southern Touraine.

Paulmy lies close to the borders of Berry and Poitou, an area where streams, small rivers and woodland have shaped both the landscape and village life for centuries. Today, places like this are valued less for transport than for the peaceful setting they provide for walkers, anglers and anyone seeking a slower pace.

The stream Le Bignon may appear modest, but waterways like this have long been essential to rural communities. They watered livestock, powered small mills, irrigated nearby meadows and helped define parish and property boundaries. Many of the footbridges found across Touraine today stand where generations of villagers have crossed these streams for hundreds of years.

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

---

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

Taken in Touraine - summer morning in Le Grand-Pressigny.

Le Grand-Pressigny is known far beyond Touraine, not for a château or a vineyard but for prehistoric flint. Archaeologists have traced the village's distinctive honey-coloured stone across much of Europe, evidence of a trading network that existed thousands of years before the Romans arrived.

On a warm summer morning, Place du Maréchal Savoie-Villars is almost empty, making it hard to imagine that this quiet village was once at the centre of one of prehistoric Europe's most important industries.

The quiet streets and neatly kept square reflect the unhurried pace of life that still characterises many of Touraine's smaller villages.

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

---

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

And so it continues...baking in Touraine.

Under a deep blue sky, this vast field of sunflowers stretches towards the horizon, each bloom turned towards the sunshine that has brought another spell of temperatures above 30°C.

These golden fields are one of the defining sights of the Touraine countryside during July and August. Grown primarily for their seeds and oil, they also provide an important source of food for bees and other pollinators before the harvest begins.

With the warm air shimmering above the fields and hardly a cloud in the sky, it's easy to see why locals have been saying that Touraine is baking this week.

Although sunflowers are now closely associated with the French countryside, they are not native to France. They originated in North America and were brought to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. It wasn't until the 18th and 19th centuries that they became widely cultivated across France, and today the Centre-Val de Loire region is one of the country's major sunflower-growing areas.

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

---

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 Tou raine · Back to Home 

A view from above -taken in Touraine

From the top of the Porte Royale, the rooftops of the medieval town of Loches unfold below, with the distinctive Tower of Saint-Antoine rising above them. Narrow streets weave between centuries-old stone houses, following routes that have remained remarkably unchanged for generations.

This elevated viewpoint offers one of the finest panoramas in Touraine, revealing the close-knit fabric of a town where medieval streets, historic buildings and everyday life continue to exist side by side.

The Tower of Saint-Antoine is all that remains of the former Church of Saint-Antoine, which was largely destroyed during the French Revolution. Rising above the rooftops, the tower has become one of Loches' best-known landmarks. From the top of the Porte Royale, you can appreciate not only this surviving bell tower but also the medieval street pattern below—little changed over the centuries.

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

---

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

Taken in Touraine in 'le vieux quartier de Tours'.

This half-timbered building, now home to the restaurant Léonard de Vinci, stands at the intersection of Rue de la Monnaie and Rue des Orfèvres in the old quarter of Tours. Its timber frame and brick infill are a reminder of the medieval streetscape that still survives in this part of the city.

Le vieux quartier de Tours: Rue de la Monnaie takes its name from the mint once established nearby, while Rue des Orfèvres recalls the goldsmiths who worked in the area. Together, the street names preserve the memory of the trades that shaped medieval Tours.

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

---

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 Tou raine · Back to Home 

View of the Vienne...

From the heights of the Fortress of Chinon, the mighty Vienne river stretches westwards through a broad, wooded valley, with the hillside homes of Chinon below.

The fortress occupies a long rocky spur above the river and was once a key royal stronghold. It was here, in 1429, that Joan of Arc met the future Charles VII before setting out to help change the course of the Hundred Years’ War.

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

---

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 Tou raine · Back to Home 

Taken in Touraine, sunset at Château de La Guerche.

Some places seem made for the quieter ends of the day. Last night at Château de La Guerche, evening light softens the stone, the river becomes a mirror and the towers settle into silhouette against the fading sky

There is nothing dramatic here, just that familiar Touraine combination of water, history and stillness. The bridge gives a fleeting pause, long enough to notice how little the scene has changed in spirit. Remove the railings and it could belong to another century.

Château de La Guerche stands beside the Creuse and retains the character of a fortified residence, where water was once part of the defense as much as part of the view. Today it is the reflections rather than protection that catches attention.

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

---

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 Tou raine · Back to Home 

Taken in Touraine - on the Claise

Not every crossing in Touraine is grand or monumental. Sometimes the reward is simply the view from a bridge. Along Rue du Bourg Neuf,in Preuilly-sur-Claise, the river slows, reflections settle and the surrounding greenery softens the edges of the village.

There is something quietly satisfying about scenes like this,the bridge draws the eye but the stillness beneath it holds the attention a little longer.

A reminder that in Touraine, some of the most memorable moments are not found at famous landmarks but in the spaces between them.

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

---

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 Tou raine · Back to Home 

Taken in Touraine - La Lanterne de Rochecorbon.

There are landmarks you notice so often that they almost become part of the landscape, and in Rochecorbon the Lantern is one of them. Standing above the limestone cliffs beside the Loire, this slender stone tower catches the eye of anyone passing through, yet nobody seems entirely certain of its original purpose.

Known locally as La Lanterne de Rochecorbon, theories range from a medieval watchtower to a symbolic marker connected with river traffic or religious use. Local legend has also added its own layers over time, with stories of secret passages and hidden meanings attached to its solitary position above the troglodyte hillside. What is certain is that it has become one of those familiar Touraine landmarks, quietly watching over the valley while keeping part of its story to itself.

From below, framed against the sky and perched on the pale tuffeau rock, it feels less like a monument and more like a question left unanswered.

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

---

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 Tou raine · Back to Home 

Thursday's 'taken in Touraine'...Château du Rivau.

Part fairytale fortress, part Renaissance residence, the Château du Rivau rises somewhat unexpectedly from the Touraine countryside near the village of Lémeré.

Today the château is famous for its remarkable child friendly gardens, especially its roses. On the 6th and 7th of June, the annual Rose Festival returns, when the gardens are at their most colourful and fragrant, drawing visitors from across the Loire Valley and beyond.

A visit back in 2022...

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

---

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 Tou raine · Back to Home 

Taken in Touraine - river Indre at Loches.

Seen from the Porte des Cordeliers in Loches, the River Indre moves quietly beneath the trees and old stone houses that line its banks. On warm days, the reflections soften the edges of the town, creating a calmer view far removed from the busy streets on market day.

This part of Loches reveals another side of Touraine, where water, greenery, and centuries-old buildings blend naturally into the landscape. Hidden corners like this are easy to miss, yet they often become the moments visitors remember most clearly after exploring the town.

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

---

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 Tou raine · Back to Home 

Taken in Touraine - Tour Vironne, Château du Grand Pressigny.

A striking silhouette in the Touraine countryside, the Tour Vironne at Château du Grand Pressigny.

Standing seemingly apart from the main château in this shot, the Tour Vironne rises proudly like a solitary sentinel. This powerful stone tower, with its crenellated top and domed lantern, creates a particularly photogenic and mysterious presence when viewed from the surrounding fields.

Château du Grand Pressigny is a fascinating site with a long history dating back to the Middle Ages. While the main buildings have evolved over the centuries, this imposing tower retains a strong medieval character.

The name “Vironne” is believed to come from an old local term, and the tower once served defensive purposes. Today, it stands as one of the most distinctive and memorable features of the castle, especially when framed by spring greenery as seen here.

Part of the charm of exploring Touraine is discovering these architectural gems that feel both grand and quietly intimate.

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

---

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 Tou raine · Back to Home