Most visitors to the Loire Valley focus on Touraine, the area around Tours and Amboise, where the best-known châteaux stand. It is a wonderful region, but the valley is long, and the wider Loire country offers different landscapes, wines and stories. Anjou to the west, Orléans and Bourges to the east and Sancerre in the far upper valley each add something distinct. This guide explains what each area offers and how to add it to a trip, whether as a day excursion or as a second base.
Anjou and Angers
West of Saumur, the Loire passes into Anjou, the old homeland of the Plantagenet dynasty. Its capital, Angers, is dominated by a fortress with seventeen towers of dark stone, and inside is the fourteenth-century Apocalypse Tapestry, one of the great works of medieval art. Anjou is also a wine country, producing dry and sweet Chenin Blanc, sparkling wine, rosé and Cabernet Franc, and its pale tufa stone gives the villages a soft, glowing look. A guided château-and-wine day from Angers is the easiest way to see the countryside without a car.
Saumur and its caves
Between Touraine and Anjou lies Saumur, with a fairytale château above the river, the riding school known as the Cadre Noir and a landscape of caves cut into the tufa. The caves house wine cellars, mushroom farms and even homes, and the vineyards produce sparkling wines and the admired red Saumur-Champigny. An e-bike ride through the vineyards, with a tasting, is a good way to see it. Saumur is also an easy base for Fontevraud Abbey, the great Plantagenet burial place, and for Chinon, which is just upstream.
Chinon and the Vienne valley
Chinon is strictly in Touraine, but it feels like the gateway to the west, and it offers some of the best wine experiences in the region. A tasting of Cabernet Franc beneath the royal fortress, or a picnic among the vines, makes for a memorable half day. The town itself is small and charming, and it has the history of Joan of Arc's meeting with the future Charles VII in 1429. Combine it with Ussé, the château said to have inspired Sleeping Beauty, or with Fontevraud Abbey, for a full western day.
Orléans
At the eastern end of the châteaux region lies Orléans, the city of Joan of Arc. It was here in 1429 that she lifted the English siege, and the city celebrates her every spring. The centre was rebuilt after the Second World War, but its cathedral, its river quays and its museums are well worth a visit. A self-guided audio walk is an easy way to follow her story. Orléans is about an hour from Paris by train, which makes it a convenient first or last stop on a Loire trip.
Bourges
Further south and inland, Bourges is a quiet city that rewards a detour. Its cathedral is a World Heritage Site, with a vast nave and some of the finest medieval stained glass in France, and the fifteenth-century Palais Jacques Cœur is one of the best civil buildings of its age. The old streets, the market gardens and the lack of crowds make it a refreshing change from the busiest châteaux. An audio guide makes the cathedral accessible at your own pace.
Sancerre and Pouilly
In the upper Loire, the hilltop town of Sancerre and the vineyards of Pouilly-sur-Loire produce crisp, famous Sauvignon Blanc. The landscape is steeper and more rural than Touraine, and the local goat cheese, Crottin de Chavignol, is the classic partner for the wine. A guided day is the best way to taste several estates, though many visitors prefer to stay a night in the area to enjoy the evening in the old town.
How to add them to a trip
If you have a week or more, consider splitting your stay between two bases, for example Tours or Amboise for the châteaux and Saumur or Angers for the west. If you have only a few days, choose one excursion that fits your interests: wine lovers might pick Sancerre or Anjou, history fans Orléans or Bourges, and cyclists Saumur. Trains connect Tours with Saumur, Angers, Blois and Orléans, though schedules vary, and a car opens up the smaller villages.
Planning advice
Distances are larger than they look on a map, so allow generous travel time and avoid trying to fit too much into a day. Check the opening hours of châteaux and cathedrals for your date, since smaller sites close for lunch and keep shorter hours in winter. Book guided wine tours in advance in the high season, and tell the organiser about any dietary needs. With a little planning, the wider Loire turns a good trip into a richer one.