Whole Earth Guide

Centre is one of those regions of France that you don't hear a lot about and, for the most part, is probably a place that you've passed through but not really considered stopping in. It consists of the Departments of Cher, Eure-et-Loir, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher and Loiret.

Stretching from the outskirts of Paris to the Loire Valley it's a relatively homogenous region. The main problem that it has is that in tourist terms it can be lumped in with outer Paris or the outskirts of the Loire Valley and therefore it can often come across as a nondescript region which is a shame and is something that we hope to correct in the months to come.

However, that relative unfamiliarity of the region is to your advantage as the region makes an excellent base for exploring those that border on it. You can visit chateaux such as Culan, Meillant or Ainay-le-Vieil or venture further into the Pays-de-la-Loire region if those aren't enough. There's the Grand Prix circuit at Magny Cours and the popular Futuroscope at Poitiers. Moving just outside the region you have the Atlantic port of La Rochelle or, in the other direction, Paris.

Amongst the collection of Les Plus Beaux Villages in this region are Apremont-sur-Allier, Gargilesse-Dampierre, Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, Candes-Saint-Martin, Crissay-sur-Manse, Montrésor, Lavardin and Yèvre-le-Châtel.

The region isn't particularly well served in terms of airports with the closest options being those in Paris.

The rail network is extensive as elsewhere in France.

A selection from Eure et Loir...

Chartres Cathedral

Chartres is one of those places which you've probably heard of but never quite managed to find the time to visit.

The cathedral is, of course, the principal reason as it's considered to be one of the finest gothic catedrals in France and is listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Historical...more

Our selection in Girona : Salvador Dali in Figures and Cadaques

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