The Loire River

The Loire is the longest river in France, out of the Auvergne region, but is best known for its castles around Orléans, Tours and Blois. The region is a UNESCO world heritage site. Around the beautiful river, kings and dukes of France built the finest Renaissance palaces and castles of the country. To discover the Loire, it is best if you can rent a bike as trains take you from city to city. Take a bike and go for castles and the banks of the river. For entry to the small castles there were packages to visit several at a good price. The large castles, such as Chenonceaux and Chambord, charge about 10 euros each.