Fontainebleau residence of the sovereign from François 1er to Napoléon. Chapelle d'Angillon small 12th century castle, residence of princesse de Clèves and minister Sully - Menetou Salon chalky-clay hillsides close to Sancerre produce very good, expressive, fresh and balanced white (Sauvignon) and red wines ( Pinot Noir). Overnight at La Verrerie a lovely castle built in the 15th century, nestled alongside a romantic lake and surrounded by a large forest, between the Sancerre vineyards and the Loire Valley castles, (see also pictures above right).

Bourges, St Etienne cathedral, guided tour of Palais Jaques Cœur. Born in Bourges around the year 1400, Jacques Coeur rapidly rose to the top of the social ladder. After he became Finance Minister to the King Charles VII and a nobleman, he began the construction of his Palace, which was finished around 1450. This monument unique in France for its time illustrates the original personality of its builder. Valençay, is geographically speaking in the Berry region but belongs by the style and the huge size to the castles of the Loire Valley.

Azay-le Rideau, gem of the Renaissance set on the banks of the Indres. Ussé, the castle which inspired Charles Perrault for his 'Sleeping beauty' seems actually to come out from a fairy tale. Fontevraud, the largest group of monastic buildings in France with intriguing Romanesque kitchen of Byzantine influence. Recumbent figures of the Plantagenêts representing henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and their son Richard the Lionheart. Langeais, very nice middle-age castle with a draw-bridge, a sentry walk and inside, apartments with beautiful period furnishings and colorful tapestries that exude a genuine medieval atmosphere.

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