Category: Central

I first heard about Auvergne, a region in south central France, from my friend Françoise, who is from there. She always talked about how beautiful the landscape is. She never mentioned the volcanoes, so I was surprised to learn that Auvergne has the most volcanic areas of France and of all Europe. Dormant volcanoes form chains of wooded mountains for some beautifully rugged scenery, one of the area’s best features. Where is it? Auvergne lies just below the center point…

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Tours, France is often called the Gateway to the Loire Valley, because it’s a great jumping-off point for visiting the many sites along the rich river valley…such as chateaux and vineyards. Despite this ideal centrality, you don’t want to neglect seeing this bustling city itself, located between two rivers, the Loire and the Cher. It’s not far from Paris, so ideal for a side-trip or if you’re arriving in a Paris airport. Take the TGV for about  an hour and…

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There’s just too much to say about the Loire Valley, known as the garden of France. The Loire River is France’s longest river, over 600 miles long, and it cuts right through the center of the country. It will take several posts to squeeze out what I experienced on my trip last week. I hope you were able to follow some of this on Oliver’s France Facebook. Here are a few visual teasers to pique your interest in this varied…

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What is the Loire Valley known for? When I ask this question to my (adult) French students, many of them exclaim, “Castles!” Others hear the words Loire Valley and draw a blank, unsure of where it is or what it is famous for. By the time you finish this post you’ll know about castles as well as other things that could draw you to this central region of France. This post be an overview of the Loire Valley, but future…

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