CHINON
Department: Indre-et-Loire (37)
Region: Centre

Chinon is in an enviable location on the Vienne, surrounded by lush Veron countryside, and extensive vineyards. It is a very relaxing place and its chateau, built to protect Anjou from Capetian intent, is a fascinating place to visit.

The medieval houses in the town are so tightly packed they seem to lean on each other in companionable togetherness, and this gives the town more than a little tang of past Courtly glory.

© ATOUT FRANCE/CRT Centre - Val de Loire/C. Lazi

At the meeting place of three provinces: Anjou, Poitou and Touraine, the rocky outcrop on which Chinon’s royal fortress is built is a strategic site, occupied since antiquity and fought over for ages. A castle was installed there in the 10th century if not before: at that time the count of Blois had a tower built there. But it was Henry II Plantagenet, the count of Anjou and King of England from 1154 on, who gave the fortress its present design.

© ATOUT FRANCE/R-Cast

Of course, the area is also synonymous with quality wine, and those produced here, mostly from Cabernet Franc grapes are best when they are young. A guided tour of the vineyards (Feb-Mar) is time well spent. (Reservation obligatory: Tel: 02 47 93 17 85).

As a place to visit and relax, Chinon is hard to beat offering plenty of opportunity to walks as well as cycling tours, horse riding, boat trips on the river and flights in hot air balloons.

© ATOUT FRANCE/CRT Centre - Val de Loire/C. Lazi