The Loire Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the most visited regions in France, with famous chateaux, some dating back to the Middle Ages, but most are from Renaissance times. More than fifty chateaux are within easy visiting distance from the Domaine du Mesnil, for example Chenonceaux, Amboise, Cheverny, Chaumont, Chambord, Villandry, Langeais, Ussé, Azay-le-Rideau, Nitray, Fougères-sur-Bièvre, Montpoupon, Montrésor, la Chartreuse du Liget, the Royal Fortress of Chinon, the Royal City of Loches, Beauregard, Villesavin, Troussay and Valençay.
While the banks of the Loire have been built up to avoid flooding, the river has retained its natural beauty with sandbanks, plant life, islands and islets, and the magnificent light reflected in the water.
Le Domaine du Mesnil estate is also close to the River Cher, one of the tributaries of the Loire; the Cher valley extends from Tours in the west and Saint-Aignan and Selles-sur-Cher in the east, near the picturesque Canal de Berry. A short distance away is Romorantin and the Sologne, an area renowned for game.
The Val de Loire and Touraine are wine-growing regions producing both red (e.g. Bourgueil and Chinon) and white (e.g. Montlouis and Vouvray), as well as red Gamay and Cabernet, white Sauvignon and rosé Pineau d’Aunis. This area, known as the “Garden of France”, produces vegetables, wild mushrooms, asparagus and excellent fruit such as strawberries easily found in markets in towns and villages. The region is also famous for its goat’s-milk cheese (Sainte-Maure, Selles-sur-Cher, Valençay) and freshwater fish (pike-perch, northern pike, catfish and carp).
