Cycling in the Loire Valley | Visiting the famous castles of the Loire<title> <meta name="Description" content="Cycling through the Loire Valley, we get the opportunity to visit the splendid chateaux that are situated on the banks of the Loire in France. Each summer there is a festival of Sound and Light when the chateaux are lit up at night with lasers; the best of which are truly memorable. 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All Rights Reserved.</a>   </div>  <div id="wide-content"> <h1>Châteaux of the Loire </h1> <div class="shadowed" > <img src="../images/bd-loire-3.jpg" alt="Loire - Azay le Rideau" width="150" height="112" border="0" /> </div> <p> By the end of the 15th century the Touraine area of the <strong>Loire Valley</strong> was the favoured residence for the French Kings. </p> <p> Successive Kings, Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francois I, influenced by their travels in renaissance Italy, transformed the Loire valley with new <strong>châteaux</strong> at Amboise, Blois and Chambord. </p> <p> Other wealthy types followed suit, building equally grand residences like Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau. Many of these <strong>châteaux </strong>use water to great effect - Chenonceau is built on the tiers of a former mill and on a bridge spanning the Cher; Azay-le-Rideau sits on an island in the middle of the Indre; </p> <div class="shadowed" > <img src="../images/bd-loire-6.jpg" alt="Loire - Chateau Chambord - copyright NRCO-GP" width="150" height="112" border="0" /> </div> <p> Chambord looks out across the specially diverted River Cosson. The original plan was to divert the <strong>Loire</strong> to flow round the <strong>château</strong>, but even the King's budget wouldn't stretch that far. </p> <p> Each summer there is a festival of "Son et Lumière" when the <strong>châteaux</strong> are lit up at night with laser and sound shows. The shows are not always terribly tasteful, and the quality is variable to say the least, but the best of them are truly memorable. At Amboise, Chambord, Azay-le-Rideau and Chenonceau our hotels are very close to the <strong>châteaux</strong>, so you can make your own mind up if you wish. </p> </div>  <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="clear" style="padding-top:10px"></div> <div id="footer"> <table class="footertable" border="0"> <tr> <td style="width:25%; vertical-align:middle; text=align:left;"> <a href="../cycling-holidays/emailthis.php?pageurl=loire-valley-chateaux.php" title="Email This Page to a Friend">Email this page to a friend</a> </td> <td> <div class="thinlayout centeryou">The Chain Gang Cycle Tours Limited - 30 Prospect Park - Exeter - EX4 6NA</div> <div class="thinlayout centeryou"><span class="copyright">© The Chain Gang Cycle Tours Ltd 2000-2008 Company No : 3255155</span></div> <div class="thinlayout centeryou"><a href="../cycling-holidays/contact.php">Contact Us</a> · <a href="../cycling-holidays/privacy.php">Privacy Policy</a> · <a href="../cycling-holidays/sitemap.php">Site Map</a></div> <div class="thinlayout centeryou"><a href="http://www.700i.net">Web Design & SEO</a> by <a style="text-decoration:none" href="http://www.lizjamieson.co.uk" title="Liz Jamieson">Liz Jamieson</a> at 700i</div> </td> <td style="width:25%;vertical-align:middle; text-align:right;"> <a href="../cycling-holidays/feedback.php" title="Your constructive feedback is appreciated">Like the website?</a> </td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"> </td></tr> </table> <script language="JavaScript" src="../infinite-menus/ocscript.js" type="text/javascript"></script> </div>  </div>  </div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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