The central area of France in brief:
From Paris to the Loire and Burgundy
 The
Paris region and the Loire valley, lying a hundred miles south-west,
are by far the most popular regions with American tourists, and
generally speaking with visitors from Japan, China and other distant
parts of the world. Paris, which is
less than three hours by train from London, or two hours from Brussels,
is also the most popular destination for British tourists.
If
visiting Paris from London, check out the combined Eurostar/hotel
offers available; tourists from the USA and other parts of the world,
if traveling independently, would do well to check out discounted hotel
rates on the Internet. .
Southwest of Paris lies Versailles,
easily accessible for an afternoon trip or a day trip. And beyond
Versailles, in the direction of the Loire, lies a region called the
Beauce, France's breadbasket, an area where vast wheat fields stretch
out towards the horizon . In the middle of the Beauce lies Chartres, home to one of the most magnificent of France's great mediaeval cathedrals.
The central Loire Valley
is famous "Châteaux", such as Chenonceaux (photo); but not so many
tourists venture to discover the byways of this attractive region.
Known as "the garden of France", this region is famous for its mild
climate, its castles, and its vineyards. As the historic French
heartland, the region is rich in history and culture. The countryside
is gentle, with undulating hills and quietly flowing rivers - an ideal
region for those who just want to be lazy, or to enjoy eating out,
fishing or just exploring the countryside.
The lower Loire basin is currently part of the Pays de la Loire
region, a land with soft contours, slowly flowing rivers, forests,
fields and villages. The "Sologne" area, south of the Loire, contains
the remaining parts of a once huge forest, rich with wildlife, that
originally encouraged the kings and princes of France to build their
castles in this region. For more information visit the guide to the Centre region of France.
In the east of this region lies the Burgundy region,
famous for its wines; but in fact the wine-growing region of Burgundy
is quite small, lying mostly in a ribbon along the western edge of the
Saone plain, south of Dijon. This part of Burgundy is rich in places to visit, including Dijon and Beaune (the wine capital). In the north of Burgundy, the Morvan hills are the last outcrop of the uplands of central France.
The Saône plain is a fairly flat region, with lots of lakes (la Bresse)
and slow flowing rivers. This region is very popular with anglers and
bird watchers.
Most of the rest of Burgundy is a hilly region
(the Morvan), with small towns and villages many of them rich in
history. The hills are higher than those further west, and the valleys
deeper; the Morvan is hill country, and there are good hiking paths;
but it is not mountain country.
Main cities:
Nantes, Tours, Angers, Orléans, Dijon. Paris.
Going further: (more detailed information, including major tourist attractions)
Accommodation:
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