Minimum age on family trips is 10. You can download newer versions of these browsers here for IE and here for Netscape . The stories of this beguiling valley are profoundly interwoven with religious piety, scandal and romantic intrigue - and every castle has a tale to tell. Renaissance ch teaux as Villandry, Uss and Sach , once Balzac's home.
Grand fortresses guard quiet cobblestone streets, and fertile vines meander alongside country roads.
Fields of mustard and a profusion of sunflowers greet us at every gentle turn in Balzac's gold and emerald river valley. At our ch teau accommodations, meticulously landscaped grounds and Michelin-starred cuisine add to the elegance of a Backroads bicycle interlude nonpareil. Click here to view our virtual tour of the Loire Valley . We pedal on wooded back roads, past villages and along the Indre River to Ch teau de Villandry, nestled amid gardens landscaped in the original 16th-century design. Stop by the Balzac Museum at Ch teau de Sach , the Loire retreat beloved by the celebrated author.