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LOIRE and VENDEE

Features - Beautiful green lush valley landscapes, vineyards, the Loire river and, above all, the magnificant collection of chateaux; in the Vendée, superb beaches including La Baule and resorts including St Jean de Monts, Les Sables d'Olonne offering water-based activities for all ages.

Key Sights/Places to Visit - The chateaux including Chambord, Saumur, Amboise, Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry.  Orléans, Chartres, Tours, Angers, Nantes, Le Mans, Blois, Chinon.

Further Attractions - Summer fairs, festivals and pageants.  Le Puy de Fou medieval theme park near Cholet.

POITOU CHARENTES

Features - Many wide sandy beaches with resorts including Royan and La Rochelle, the wildlife haven of the Poitevin marshes (Venise Verte) for punting and cycling tracks.  Lagoons, oyster beds, forests, flatlands and wooded hills.  Ile d'Oléron and Ile de Ré.

Key Sights/Places to Visit - Poitiers, Niort, Roman ruins at Saintes, Talmont, Chavigny, Angles-sur-Anglin, Angoulême, Cognac.

Further Attractions - Futuroscope hi-tech theme park outside Poitiers - dedicated to film and the moving image, Zoo de la Palmyre outside Royan.

REGIONAL FOOD

Features - freshwater fish, mushrooms, seafood, oysters and mussels, game, rillettes (pork pâté/purée).
Specialities - matelote de la Loire (fish stew), game pâtés, tarte tourangelle aux rillettes, omelette Beauceronne, sauté de poulet à l'Angevine, rillettes de Tours, la chaudrée (fish chowder), la mouclade Vendéenne (mussel stew), merveilles Charantaises (Cognac fritters), crémets d'Angers (cheese), gâteau pithiviers, pain d'épices, nonettes.
Cheeses  - wide range of goats cheeses including Crottin de Chavignol, Ste Maure, Olivet Bleu, Port Salut.
Drinks - Cognac brandy.

REGIONAL WINE

The Loire region produces predominantly white wines due to a cooler climate than the south, although there is a wide range and variety, including sparkling wines.

Wine Regions - Pays Nantais, Anjou-Saumur, Haut-Poitou, Touraine, Central Vineyards.

Well known wines include Muscadet, Rosé d'Anjou, Savennières, Vouvray, Touraine, Saumur, Chinon/Bourgueil (red), Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and Menetou-Salon.

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