Reveling in the Splendor of France's Loire Valley

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 Orléans and Angers, a 155-mile stretch of soft, green countryside dotted with the magnificent châteaux for which the area is renowned. Each time I visit the Loire, however, I am impressed not just by the landscape and the architecture, but also by the sincere hospitality of its hotels, as well as the outstanding food and wine.

The Loire is at its best in June and September, when the crowds are thinner and the gardens are in full bloom. So, on an early-summer day, we headed south from Paris and, after a two-hour drive, found ourselves marveling at the white limestone grandeur of the Château de Chambord. Commissioned by King François I in 1519, it is the largest château in the Loire, with 426 rooms, 77 staircases and a 510-foot-long façade! The Loire châteaux are offshoots of traditional castle architecture, but with towers and moats designed for decorative effect rather than for military defense. For the French kings, they were symbols of royal power and wealth. Despite its immense size, Chambord was built as a hunting lodge — François I actually lived in his châteaux at Blois and Amboise — and was used to entertain and impress foreign rivals, such as the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

DOMAINE DES HAUTS DE LOIRE

It took another 45 minutes to drive along the river to the pretty little town of Onzain. There, the 36- room Domaine des Hauts de Loire occupies a creeper-covered lodge and outbuildings surrounded by a 180-acre park studded with huge old trees. At check-in, I overheard a couple from Chicago tell the receptionist that this would be their 10th visit to the property, and that on this occasion, they’d chosen it for their 30th wedding anniversary. Their affection for this casually elegant hotel turned out to be understandable, since it proved warm, friendly and extremely comfortable.

Though larger rooms are to be found in the annex, we had opted for one in the main house. This offered a textbook illustration of French country style, with exposed beams, an ivy-patterned carpet, walls covered with toile de Jouy fabric, and a lovely view over the park. A spacious tiled bath came with a separate tub and shower. Having settled in, we joined the other guests for apertifs on a terrace running almost the length of the main hotel building. There, the general manager came to welcome us in person. In the dining room, an exceptionally convivial atmosphere prevailed among a well-dressed international crowd. Chef Rémy Giraud’s Michelin two-star restaurant is one of the principal reasons to choose this hotel. Our delicious contemporary French meal featured salmon rolled in sesame seeds with beet mousse, chicken stuffed with foie gras in a lemon verbena sauce, and a superb cheese trolley of Loire Valley chèvres. The chef’s specialties include poached eel with a shallot dressing, Aquitaine caviar (cultivated in the Gironde estuary near Bordeaux) served with a tartare of langoustines, and a côte de veau, pan-fried with chanterelles and accompanied by a pea coulis. My only slight disappointment was the wine list, which offered a surprisingly limited selection of regional wines. Later, we enjoyed coffee and an Armagnac in the salon, where large vases of pink peonies provided dramatic splashes of color.

Having slept with the windows open, we awoke to birdsong. Continental breakfast on the terrace was followed by a leisurely cycle through the park, and an hour lounging beside the large heated pool. (Tennis, hiking and fishing are also available.) We then packed our bags and departed with genuine regret.

Backtracking for 30 minutes through the game-filled forests that originally attracted the French kings to the Loire, we came to the Château de Cheverny. Fully furnished and still inhabited by the same noble family, the Hurault de Vibraye, who built it from 1624-1634, this is one of my favorite châteaux. Having toured the majestic interior, famous for its collections of furniture, tapestries and objets d’art, we sat outside on a bench near l’Orangerie café, daydreaming beneath a cornflower-blue sky scattered with large, fleecy clouds. (Don’t leave Cheverny without visiting its friendly and well-appointed wine shop; a talented new generation of winemakers is putting this lesser-known Loire Valley appellation on the wine lists of many top restaurants in Paris.)

AT A GLANCE:

LIKE: Beautiful setting; excellent restaurant.

DISLIKE: Overpriced breakfast.

GOOD TO KNOW: This hotel makes an ideal weekend getaway from Paris.

DOMAINE DES HAUTS DE LOIRE, Rating 94. Deluxe Room, $730; Prestige Suite, $915. 79 Rue Gilbert Navard, Onzain. Tel.(33) 2-54-20-72-57.

LE MANOIR LES MINIMES

From Cheverny, we proceeded to the lovely old town of Amboise, dominated by its immense château. Long a favorite of French kings, Amboise was extensively rebuilt by Charles VIII. The work began in 1492 in the late Gothic Flamboyant style, but continued after 1495 under the supervision of Italian masons, who introduced some of the first Renaissance motifs to French architecture. Leonardo da Vinci came to Amboise in December 1515 as a guest of King François I, and lived and worked in the nearby Clos Lucé. He died in 1519 and was buried in the adjoining Chapel of Saint-Hubert. Located just below the ramparts of the Château d’Amboise, the 15-room Le Manoir les Minimes occupies a handsome 18th-century limestone house. Our air-conditioned junior suite was delightful, with powder-blue fabric-covered walls, and a mix of antiques and fine reproduction furniture. It comprised a sitting room with a sofa, plus a bedroom with a comfortable bed made up with high-quality cotton sheets, and a large chestnut armoire. Small touches such as an exquisite white orchid and framed 18th-century etchings added to the atmosphere. The bath was large and well-lit, with a separate tub and shower, and double-glazed windows to block noise from the road running along the river. The hotel has no restaurant, but drinks are served on a terrace in the gardens.

Though this is not the kind of place where you’ll find amenities such as a spa, pool or gym, it is a perfect example of what the French call a hôtel de charme, or a gracious traditional property that exudes a profound sense of place. In short, it is exactly the sort of hotel you’d hope to find in the Loire Valley: one with a palpable sense of history, as well as impeccable contemporary comfort and warm, attentive service.

Just after dawn, the Loire was a wide silver ribbon passing under the arches of an 18th-century bridge of biscuit-colored stone. Doves cooed, and the Château d’Amboise glowed pale amber in the light of a new day. We’d risen early because we intended to break our one-château-a-day rule to visit both Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry.

Constructed in the early 16th century around the remains of an ancient fortress, Villandry is best-known today for its magnificent gardens, restored by a Spanish doctor, Joachim Carvallo, and his wealthy American wife, Ann Coleman, a descendant of iron and coal magnate Robert Coleman, “Pennsylvania’s first millionaire.” The couple met studying medicine in Paris in 1899 and purchased the property in 1906. The château is furnished with a mixture of French antiques and Spanish paintings, including a canvas by Goya, and is still owned by the Carvallo family.

Seven miles to the south, Azay-le-Rideau is one of the earliest French Renaissance châteaux. Built between 1515 and 1527 on an island in the Indre River, its foundations rise straight out of the water. On calm days, the château appears to float in its own image.

AT A GLANCE:

LIKE: Cordial service; convenient location from which to tour.

DISLIKE: Mediocre breakfast.

GOOD TO KNOW: Avoid rooms in the annex, which can be noisy; second-floor rooms have views of the Loire.

LE MANOIR LES MINIMES, Rating 94. Deluxe Room, $280; Prestige Suite, $3805. 34 Quai Charles Guinot, Amboise. Tel. (33) 2-47-30-40-40.

DOMAINE DE LA TORTINIERE

After an ambitious day of touring, it was a pleasure to arrive at the 30-room Domaine de la Tortiniere in Montbazon, 12 miles south of Tours. The hotel occupies a château that was built in 1866 on the site of a 16th-century castle. Owned by the same family for several generations, it is surrounded by a 37-acre park dotted with venerable trees. Although the front desk was rather formal, we were immediately impressed by the public areas. The lobby featured a marble fireplace, paneled walls and fine rugs scattered across a parquet floor. French doors opened onto a balustraded terrace, which afforded views of the Indre and the surrounding countryside. Eleven of the château’s guest quarters are in the main building, while the rest occupy three pavilion annexes. (The best rooms, such as 2 and 4, are in the main château.) Upstairs, we fell in love with our air-conditioned junior suite, which included a circular bedroom and a large sitting room, traditionally furnished with Louis XVI armchairs and antiques. Despite the bath being rather small, with a combination tub and shower and a single sink, we were extremely content. As we turned off the air-conditioning and threw open the windows, the scent of flowering lime trees filled the air. In a celebratory mood, we opened a bottle of chilled sparkling Vouvray to toast a wonderful day.

The property’s excellent restaurant occupies a light-filled conservatory, which extends onto a scenic terrace. Chef David Chartier serves a regional menu that features local specialties such as Marigny-Marmande truffles, Racan pigeon served with sweetbreads, Le Puy green lentils and caramelized onions, and Sainte-Maure de Touraine goat cheese. After dinner, the lounge/bar is a particularly relaxing refuge in which to sample the extensive collection of Cognacs and Armagnacs. Other amenities include a large, solar-heated outdoor swimming pool, and tennis courts. We would very happily return to this property, but on a future occasion, we would find time to take a boat trip on the Indre River.

AT A GLANCE:

LIKE: Tranquil setting; gorgeous views.

DISLIKE: Cycling tour groups can overwhelm the service from time to time.

GOOD TO KNOW: The restaurant of Olivier Arlot, the best young chef in the Loire, is a five-minute drive from the hotel.

DOMAINE DE LA TORTINIERE, Rating 94. Prestige Room, $385; Suite, $525. 10 Route de Ballan, Veigne. Tel. (33) 2-47-34-35-00.

AUBERGE DU BON LABOUREUR

The following day, we headed to Chenonceau. This lyrically beautiful château was presented by King Henry II to his favorite, Diane de Poitiers, in 1547. She transformed it by adding a gallery that spans the Cher River on four arches, and then overseeing the planting of exquisite flower gardens, laid out in triangles along the banks of the river. In the 18th century, Chenonceau’s châtelaine, Madame Louise Dupin, entertained leading figures of the French Enlightenment, such as Voltaire, Montesquieu and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, at her salon. Today, Chenonceau is one of the foremost tourist attractions in France and receives nearly 1 million visitors annually. Atmospheric and handsomely furnished, it also houses a small, first-rate art collection, with paintings by Poussin, Correggio and Andrea del Sarto.

After a long, lazy lunch in the garden of the nearby Auberge du Cheval Rouge, we checked into the 22-room Auberge du Bon Laboureur. This is a pleasant country inn that occupies several old stone houses surrounded by trailing roses and vines, on the edge of the village of Chenonceaux. Our air-conditioned room was pleasingly furnished in classic French country style, but the bath under the eaves needed a little updating and offered only a combination tub and handheld shower. Rooms at the auberge tend to vary greatly, so it is imperative to request one that has been recently renovated. In the excellent Michelin one-star restaurant, chef Antoine Jeudi serves seasonal dishes made from fine local ingredients. His specialties include fillet of plaice with lemon butter and shellfish, fried sweetbreads with a shoulder of veal confit, and strawberry shortcake with lemon cream. Aside from the appeal of being able to walk to the Château de Chenonceau, the inn offers attractively furnished public rooms and a small courtyard terrace where drinks are served. Breakfast was a generous buffet, with cheese, charcuterie, yogurt, cereal, pastries, bread and homemade jam.

AT A GLANCE:

LIKE: Within walking distance of chenonceau; excellent restaurant.

DISLIKE: Service in the dining room is too formal.

GOOD TO KNOW: This hotel is very popular with Parisians, so book well in advance.

AUBERGE DU BON LABOUREUR, Rating 90. Room, $245; Suite, $280. 6 Rue du Docteur-Bretonneau, Chenonceaux. Tel. (33) 2-47-23-90-02.

CHATEAU DE VERRIERES

Our final day during this Loire trip was devoted to discovering some of the region’s great wines (see box). Following tastings in Bourgueil, Chinon and Saumur, we arrived at the Chateau de Verrieres at the end of a hot afternoon. Pulling into the property, which is surrounded by immaculately landscaped grounds, we were promptly greeted by the amiable owner, Yolaine de Valbray-Auger, who helped us with our luggage. Within walking distance of the historic center of Saumur, the 10-room hotel occupies a handsome 1896 Belle Epoque mansion, with a fan-shaped glass porte-cochère over the front door. Our room, 302, proved to be large and elegantly furnished, with tall windows overlooking the park. The guest folder explained that it was named the “Chambre du Général” because it was the preferred room of General Baillou de La Brosse, an officer in the army of Napoleon III, who built the château for his family. Both comfortable and distinguished, the room came with a bow window, a love seat, a chestnut desk, a large armoire and several lovely oil paintings. There was no air-conditioning, but high ceilings and shade from the surrounding trees kept us sufficiently cool. The small bath was perfectly serviceable, if not especially luxurious.

In the early evening, we joined Monsieur de Valbray-Auger in the lounge for a glass of sparkling Saumur-Champigny. He explained that he had purchased the property 11 years previously, after a career as an insurance executive with long stints in London and Tokyo. Hailing from the Vendée region — his wife is from neighboring Anjou — he decided to return home. Having purchased the house, he undertook a meticulous renovation. When I complimented him on the beauty and comfort of his hotel, he politely corrected me. “We’re not a hotel,” he said. “We just enjoy having people come to stay.” Beyond its exquisite châteaux, the pervasiveness of this style of hospitality makes the Loire Valley irresistible.

AT A GLANCE:

LIKE: Charm and hospitality of the owners; beautiful décors.

DISLIKE: Lackluster breakfast.

GOOD TO KNOW: The attractive historic center of Saumur is within walking distance.

CHATEAU DE VERRIERES, Rating 92. Romantic Room, $345; Junior Suite, $385. 53 Rue d'Alsace, Saumur. Tel. (33) 2-41-38-05-15.