When is the best time of year to visit the Loire Valley?
There is something going on all year round in this beautiful place. The spring and summer bring warm sunshine, perfect for cycling, picnicking, fishing and relaxing by the pool. The autumn is a food and wine lover’s heaven, with the hunting season, the grape harvest, figs and nuts ripening in the garden and beautiful autumnal colours on the trees to brighten the landscape. Winter is the time for bracing country walks along the Rabelais trail and the pleasure of coming home to a crackling log fire. Whatever the time of year, the antiques markets and ‘brocantes’ are stuffed with treasures, the fabulous food markets delight the senses with taste and colour, the chateaux and gardens for which the region is so famous remain open to explorers, and the wine producers are glad to share the fruits of their labour.
