A couple of hours south of Paris, the Loire Valley is a cultural landscape of great beauty, containing historic towns and villages, great architectural monuments, and cultivated lands formed by many centuries of interaction between their population and the physical environment. The architectural monuments span the period which saw the transition from castles as defensive structures (Loches) to renaissance chateaux, places of luxury, pleasure and refinement, which have retained defensive elements only for ornemental reasons. The Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
[CLICK on any picture to see a larger image and details, to add to selection, to order, and to download wallpaper.]
