One of the prime reasons for moving to the Loire Valley is its central position. It makes accessing other areas of France more realistic and reachable. Paris is easily reached by the A10 autoroute making day trips to Paris another advantage. A resident of the region is able to enjoy the benefits of the picturesque environment, whilst still having access to the cultural centre of France.
The Loire Valley climate is very moderate. While the summers can be quite warm, they are generally not so over-bearing that you can’t go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Winters on the other hand are not harsh, and by day can enjoy temperatures well into the teens, making those long hard winters of the UK seem a thing of the past. In comparison to the rest of France, this climate is amongst the most stable and enjoyable, and generally plans for days out are not hampered by erratic weather patterns.
Property prices in this region, on average, are also very attractive. The average price for an older (or period) property is well under the national average of 102,000 euros. For newer homes, however, the prices are a lot closer to the national average of 115,000 euros.
Of course, one of the major attractions of this region is its high density of chateaux and history. Nowhere else in France would you find as many chateaux per square kilometre as in the Loire Valley. Obligatory visits to a few of the more famous castles would include Amboise (where Leonardo de Vinci lived out his days); the stunning Chenonceau Chateau that spans the river Loire; Chateau de Cheverny (the chateau the Tin Tin books were based on) and of course the massive Chambord Chateau with its famous double helix staircase.
For the outdoors type, cycling is very popular here due to the flatness of the landscape. There are many local football and rugby clubs to join. Hunting is still practiced as a sport in France, Golf is very popular and, of course, every town or village has its own petanque court for playing Frances most popular game. Nature totally surrounds you. It is nothing to drive along country roads and see eagles and other birds of prey hunting in the fields, or to see deer, boar and other animals of the forest.
Many good wines and cheeses originate from the Loire Valley. Markets of fresh food and regional delicacies are held in most villages one or two days a week. In the Summer months, fetes, fireworks and dancing are a weekly occurrence.
So, all in all, the Loire Valley offers a great package for the person who wants a more relaxed lifestyle, but still with plenty of interesting things to see, do and learn about. The committee of UNESCO said that the Loire Valley is: "an exceptional cultural landscape, of great beauty, comprised of historic cities and villages, great architectural monuments - the Chateaux - and lands that have been cultivated and shaped by centuries of interaction between local populations and their physical environment, in particular the Loire itself.”
AUTHOR INFO
Richard Hull is the author of Your Property in France