LOIRE HIGHLIGHTS:

Something for everyone

For gardeners — The château at Chaumont-surLoire has various events throughout the year, including an international garden festival See domaine-chaumont.fr. For children — The permanent Tintin exhibition at Château de Cheverny, the model for Marlinspike Hall, is a classy recreation of the world of the famous cartoons. See chateau-cheverny.fr. For gourmands — Gastronomy is the triumph of the Loire, with eel, duck, fine goat’s cheese and tarte tatin among the specialities of the region. There are two restaurants in particular that merit a return: La Madeleine de Proust in Chaumont-sur-Loire and L’Auberge du Cheval Rouge in Chisseaux.

For oenophiles — The Loire is the home of those dry white wines sancerre and muscadet, but it also makes reds, rosés and terrific bubbly.

For would-be Flintstones — Centuries of château building have hollowed out the Loire’s beds of soft limestone, which resourceful locals have turned into cave dwellings. Many are still inhabited today. At La Magnanerie de Bourré, overlooking the Cher, one of the cave’s inhabitants will show you around the site and explain the appeal of underground living. See magnanerie-troglo.fr/en/about.php.