Burgundy and Loire Valley explored

Burgundy and Centre regions own some of the finest wines and culinary delights in the world. Centre, more known as the Loire Valley, is already famous with expats. But the Brits have yet to be aware of Burgundy which is filled with places such as Dijon, Chateaneuf and Bourgon Chablis. Located near Paris, the regions are two of the biggest in the country. Loire Valley has a population of almost 2.5 million while Burgundy, or Bourgogne to the French, has around 1.6 million population.

The Loire Valley consists of six departments: Eure et Loir in the north of the region; below it, Loiret and Loir et Cher; in the south-east, Cher; Indre at the south, bordering the Limousin region; and south-west is Indre et Loire. Nearest to Paris is Eure et Loire which has been influenced by the Ile-de-France region to its east. Chartres, its main city, is populated with about 40,000 people. Its two cathedrals and fine art museums with religious tapestries display clear ties to its Christian past.

The Loire river is the longest in France and runs through the region and the prefecture capital, Orleans. In 2000, UNESCO bestowed world heritage site status on the picturesque Loire Valley.

Many medieval cathedrals and chateaux can still be seen in Orleans and the Loiret department even after the Second World War bombings. The 13th Century gothic monolith, Cathedrale Sainte-Croix (Cathedral of the Scared Cross), which took six hundreds year to build still stands and awes onlookers.

The student culture of Orleans, particularly in La Source, the University quarter and the Loiret department itself is filled with market towns, fairtytale chateaux and more than a hundred bridges going through from many channels and rivers to the countryside.

Adjacent to the Loire and joins it in Loir et Char is the Loir river. Although it might make getting directions a bit tough, it does make the deparment enviably scenic. It also takes pride in the Chambord Chateau with a roof terrace designed by no less than Leonardo Da Vinci. The serene and relaxing town of Blois, the capital, is situated on the banks of the Loire (not the Loir). Considered by some as the Loire Valley’s ‘jewel in its crown’, Indre is in further south. It has more than 180 churches and castles and its capital, Chateauroux, is the heart of culture and festivities with many events happening there all year-round. Loir et Char and its close department of Cher have similar houses which are constructed on the waterfront, covered in exposed oak beams, with fruity color designs and exquisite wooden trim around the windows. With not much change in more than 300 years, Indre et Loire is the principal wine-growing region in the area.

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Burgundy and Loire Valley explored

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