The Pays-de-la-Loire region is located in the western part of France and has access to the Atlantic Ocean, which surrounds the beautiful coastline with numerous resorts . The Coast of Love or the Côte d'Amour - a natural extension of the famous shore of Pink Granite in Brittany . The unusual name of the coast surrounded by thousand-year-old cliffs and pines appeared in the 20th century . It was invented by the French themselves after the competition for the best designation of this resort zone was announced . Another well-known geographical attraction is the longest the Loire, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes and crossing the entire province .
As an administrative unit The Loire country exists not so long ago: it was created from parts of five old French provinces - Poitou, Brittany, Anjou, Mena and Persha, and the capital Nantes was once nothing but the main city of Brittany. As a legacy from these territories, the region received high-quality gastronomy with rich wines and unique architectural monuments, including Renaissance castles, masterpieces of military architecture from the Middle Ages, Romanesque abbeys
| Chaumont-sur-Loire Castle |
| Castle Saumur |
| Castle of Brissac |
Residence Tourotel 3 * from 21.03. for 7 nights from 50,717 rubles.
Altis Val Vert 3 * from 07.03. for 7 nights from 51,503 rubles
Residence Le Cheval Blanc 3 * from 07.03. for 7 nights from 55 574 rubles
We have been working for you since 1929! Book a tour online!
Best hotels 5 *. Paris. Disneyland. Vacation with children.
Cote d'Azur: Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Saint-Tropez.
Rent of aircraft. Transfers by helicopter. VIP service
СОДИС - 25 years of impeccable work.
Chamonix from 35 285 rubles. for 8 days
Bride-les-Bains from 37,760 rubles. for 8 days
Tinh from 47 510 rubles. for 8 days
Departments and cities Countries of the Loire
In The region consists of five departments: Mayenne, with the administrative center in Laval, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, with the main town of Angers, Sarthe ), with the capital of the Le Mans department and Vendée, where the administrative center is the city founded by Napoleon, La Roche-sur-Yon, which means "rock on Jon" (La Roche-sur- Yon). The regional capital and the center of the Atlantic Loire is Nantes.
In addition to these large cities, there are a number of small but extremely interesting places. This is, first of all, a place called Guerande (Guérande), the salt marshes of which for thousands of years served to extract a precious additive to food. No less curious is the city of Saumur, famous for its castle and other cultural sites.
But, perhaps, the greatest popularity was brought to the Loire Country by its resorts. The most famous are Pornic, Les Sables-d'Olonne, Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Brévin-les-Pins, Saint-Jean-de-Monts. The islands of Ye (Île d'Yeu) and Noirmoutier complement the picture of the ideal resting place.
History and culture
The territory of the Loire Country was inhabited in ancient times . Before the arrival of the Romans there lived a multitude of tribes: the Andes, Venetas, Pictons and many others . After the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar the region began to be actively mastered . The Romans founded a number of cities, some of which still exist today . For example, the capitals of the departments of Men and Loire and Sarthe - Angers and Le Mans . The invasions of the barbarian tribes in the 2- 3 centuries of our era brought with them a cultural decline . Nevertheless, despite the p the devastating consequences of the endless struggle for power between the various masters of the Loire Country, the Hundred Years War and the Religious Wars, the region actively developed . Traces of this development can still be found in the form of architectural masterpieces, each of which has a rich historical past .
- To philosophize under the arches of one of the ancient abbeys that the region is so rich in.
- Go on a tour of the magnificent castles of the Loire Country - they are not inferior to the "central".
- Try the banner the salt of Guéranda and make sure that it is salt to all salts!
- Despite the treacherous figures on the scales, "with a margin" to eat Nantes cakes.
- Enjoy the sea and the sun on the romantic shore of love.
- Ride a giant mechanical elephant in Nantes.
How to get there
Several International airports connect the Loire Country with other cities. First of all, it is the airport of the regional capital of Nantes (Aeroport Nantes Atlantique), located 12 km from the city. Many flights from all over the world and from other French cities land here. From Russia there are no direct flights at the moment. The most convenient way to get is from Paris. Another airport is in Angers (Aéroport de Angers - Loire), 20 km from the city. It serves international and local flights. Among the destinations are Spain, Germany, etc.
Search for air tickets to the city of Paris (the nearest airport to the Loire Country)
By train
Most of the TGV trains from Paris to the cities of the Loire Country depart from the train station Gare Montparnasse. The way to Nantes is two hours, the trains circulate once in half an hour - from about 6:30 to 22:00. Tariffs vary from 20 to 70 EUR in the second class and from 30 to 115 euros in the first. The ticket can be ordered on the Internet at www.voyages-sncf.com
The trip to Angers takes about one and a half hours. The fare for the second class is from 50.30 EUR. The road to Le Mans is just under an hour. The fare for the second class is from 37.80 EUR. Also, the countries of the Loire are accessible from Lyon (four and a half hours to Nantes, less than four hours to Angers), Lille (four hours to Nantes and just over three to Angers)
Ticket prices are indicated for May 2011
By car
The A11 motorway connects Paris with all the major cities in the region. In particular, with Nantes, Angers and Le Mans. A81 is used for trips within the region. This is the right way to get from Le Mans to Laval. Tours, Saumur and Angers are connected by A85 motorway
Cuisine and restaurants
The cuisine of the region, known outside the Loire Country, is based on a variety of products of the highest quality . Most of the locally produced ingredients, including the famous salt produced in Geranda (sel de mer de Guérande) and enriched with many useful minerals . Meat from the Department of Vendée has all imaginable and inconceivable quality signs, and the white beans (mogette de Vendée) grown there are in great demand throughout the whole of France ntsii . worthy of separate discussion Nantes vegetable valeriannitsa (mâche nantais), carefully cultivated for centuries .
The gastronomy of the region does not have one pronounced "face" .Since there are different historical provinces in the composition, the recipes differ from each other . At the moment, three cuisines are singled out: Nantes, Anzher and Vandeeskaya . The latter is widely known for its meat dishes and dishes with beans . Anzherskaya is not characterized by only love of meat, but also of fish . An invariable interest is enjoyed with desserts with pears . Nantes cuisine - a paradise for vegetarians . All sorts of salads, including with valerian, are among the delicious attractions . The famous gato of Nantes or Nantes brownie (gâteau nantais) is obligatory for all lovers to eat deliciously .
Entertainment, excursions and attractions
The country of the Loire is famous for its abbeys. Abbeye de Fontevraud, founded in the 11th century, served both men and women. The abbey of Saint Albin (Abbaye Saint-Aubin) is located in the city of Angers and has a long history, which goes back to the first centuries of our era. Abbaye du Ronceray is another architectural monument in Angers, of great interest to lovers of antiquity.
Castles of the Loire Country
Castles The countries of the Loire are no less beautiful than those that can be seen in the Center region. The castle of the Dukes of Brittany (Château des ducs de Bretagne) in Nantes is a wonderful example of a Renaissance building. Now there is the Museum of History. The Château d'Angers castle was built on the highest point of the city and demonstrates the defensive ability of the fortresses of past centuries. The Château de Brissac is located in Brissac-Quince and is considered one of the tallest buildings.
Château de Serrant near the town of Saint-Georges-sur-Loire (Saint-Georges) -sur-Loire) demonstrates all the splendor of the architecture of the Renaissance. The Château du Plessis-Bourré Castle near Angers is one of the most interesting. It is surrounded by a moat full of water, which creates the illusion of a building standing on a watery surface. Château de Montgeoffroy is located near the city of Maze. The castle was built in the 18th century and miraculously survived all the horrors of the Great French Revolution. Photo Countries of the Loire (23)