Blessed with rich soil and a mild climate, it is no wonder that the Loire Valley is known as 'The Garden of France'. As we travel through this tranquil and timeless landscape, one magnificent château after another appears before us, each one apparently striving to outdo the other with their romantic atmosphere, dramatic locations and beautiful grounds. Yet the serene and stately gardens that surround the pale sandstone walls of these castles belie the turbulent history of the area, which played an important role in the French Revolution. Nowhere is this serenity more evident than among the immaculately maintained terraces of the Château de Villandry. Although the present gardens date from the early 20^th century, this is a faithful recreation of a 16^th-century Renaissance Garden and is quite breathtaking in its complexity.

From our comfortable hotel in Tours, we also visit the Château Chaumont-sur-Loire, overlooking the Loire, and the Château du Clos Lucé, which celebrates the life and works of the genius botanist, engineer and artist Leonardo da Vinci. At the Château de Valmer, we enjoy the marvellous Italian Renaissance-style gardens, and also have the chance to sample some of the region’s wines in one of the local wine caves.