The Loire Valley
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Loire Valley - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud
Founded in 1101, the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud (Royal Abbey) had separate churches and living quarters for nuns, monks, lepers, "repentant" female sinners, and the sick. Between 1115 and the French Revolution in 1789, a succession of 39 abbesses—among them a granddaughter of William the Conqueror—directed operations. The great 12th-century Église Abbatiale (Abbey Church) contains the tombs of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their son, Richard Cœur de Lion (the Lionheart). Although their bones were scattered during the Revolution, their effigies still lie en couchant in the middle of the echoey nave. Napoléon turned the abbey church into a prison, and so it remained until 1963, when historical restoration work began. The Salle Capitulaire (Chapter House), adjacent to the church, with its collection of 16th-century religious wall paintings (prominent abbesses served as models), is unmistakably Renaissance; the paving stones bear the salamander emblem of François I. Next to the long refectory is the famously octagonal Cuisine (Kitchen), topped by 20 scaly stone chimneys led by the Tour d'Evrault.
Pl. des Plantagenêts, Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, Pays de la Loire, 49590, France02–41–51–73–52Sight Details
Rate Includes: €12 -
2. Allée Sainte-Catherine
After touring the Abbaye Royale, head outside the gates of the complex a block to the north to discover one of the Loire Valley's most time-burnished streets, Allée Ste-Catherine. Bordered by the Fontevraud park, headed by a charming medieval church, and lined with a few scattered houses (which now contain the town tourist office, a gallery that sells medieval illuminated manuscript pages, and the lovely Licorne restaurant), this street still conjures up the 14th century.
Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, Pays de la Loire, 49590, France -
3. Château du Petit Thouars
Try some local wines at the stunning, Renaissance-era Château du Petit Thouars, which enjoys an enchanting hilltop setting just off the Vienne River (between Chinon and Fontevraud). The descendents of Aristide du Petit Thouars, a French naval officer who fought in the American Revolution, have created a small museum illustrating the adventures of their family members that visitors can see after a dégustation of still and sparkling wines from their hillside vineyard. The historic château, alas, is still a private home, only to be enjoyed from the outside.
Rte. de la Chaussee, Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, Pays de la Loire, 37500, France02–47–95–96–40Sight Details
Rate Includes: Museum free. Tastings from €5, Closed Sun. -
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