After traveling regularly in France for many years, I find it impossible to name my favorite region, but certainly I have a soft spot for the Loire Valley between Orleans and Angers, a 155-mile stretch of soft, green countryside dotted with the magnificent chateaux for which the area is renowned.
If you wish to sample some of the great wines of the Loire Valley, here are my favorite addresses.
Not far from the Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau, the village of Villaines-les-Rochers is the most important center of basket-weaving in France.
The Loire Valley is one of the great gastronomic areas of France. As you might expect, freshwater fish such as pike-perch, shad, pike, eel and bream feature widely on regional menus.
Since 1989, Prince Louis Albert de Broglie's garden of heirloom tomatoes -- more than 400 varieties in all -- has become a mandatory destination for gardeners during the summer.
Located just below the ramparts of the Chateau d'Amboise in the lovely old town of Amboise, the 15-room Le Manoir Les Minimes occupies a handsome 18th-century limestone house.
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
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