The Loire Valley, also known as “The Garden of France,” offers a range of events and experiences for travelers in the summer and fall months.
The historic Château Royal de Blois, a favorite residence of seven kings and 10 queens of France, will offer live music every Friday through July 29. Visitors can enjoy concerts featuring jazz, bossa nova, folk, great French standards, classical and Renaissance music in the shade of century-old chestnut trees and cedars. Visitors can also view the château’s ongoing exhibition, “La Renaissance des Femmes”, dedicated to three of its former residents, Catherine de Medici, Diane de Poitiers and Marguerite de Valois. The exhibition will be open to visitors until July 10.
The grounds of Château de Villandry have an expansive network of gardens that are open year-round, including a maze, two ornamental gardens and a water garden. The Renaissance-era château will host the “Nights of a Thousand Lights,” on July 1 and 2, and on August 5 and 6, illuminating the gardens with over 2,000 candles. The evening also includes an aerial performance by trained eagles and other birds of prey. The event will conclude with a fireworks display. On September 24 and 25, on-site gardeners will share exclusive botanical tips and tricks with visitors in the property’s vegetable garden.
Spanning 62 acres, Domaine de Poulaines is home to an impressive garden, including an arboretum with over 1,200 plants. A new exhibition created in partnership with French sculptor Olivier Giroud explores the ways in which nature and man-made design can be blended through art. Giroud began his work as an artist in the 1980s and is known for his ability to work with a range of materials, including clay, metal and wood. The exhibition will be open to visitors until November 7, 2022.
After 30 years of tending to the gardens at Le Jardin de Marie, Marie Marcat is passing the baton to new owners to preserve its legacy and expand its offerings. Located just a few miles from the vineyards of Sancerre, Le Jardin de Marie will offer a new educational garden for children, besides a new vegetable garden and permaculture orchard highlighting the region’s biodiversity and botanical heritage. New guest accommodations that can sleep up to 12 people will soon open at the gardens, in addition to a new café. Culinary lessons that approach the art of cooking from a unique angle will also be introduced, such as a course on cooking with old vegetables instead of throwing them away.
For more information, visit www.loirevalley-france.co.uk.
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