Camping in Centre-Val de Loire

The Centre-Val-de-Loire is located in the north of France to the south-west of Paris and boasts magnificent castles from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. These can be easily visited on a cycle tour along the Loire. Luxury camping awaits today's holiday guests: the idyllically situated campsites in the Centre-Val-de-Loire often boast spacious pools and well-tended garden areas. In supervised children's clubs, young guests can enjoy a variety of activities and make new friends.

Special features of camping in the Centre-Val-de-Loire

When camping in the Centre-Val-de-Loire, guests spend a relaxing holiday on the banks of the Loire or the region's small lakes and ponds. The location offers visitors a wide range of sporting, cultural and culinary attractions for the whole family. Active holidaymakers can swim in the cool water or discover nature on canoe trips, while a cycle tour from one royal residence to the next combines sporting activities with the cultural wealth of the Loire Valley. As the landscape in the valley is mostly quite flat, it is suitable for cyclists of all ages. Wine lovers will find hiking trails through picturesque vineyards on the Loire Wine Route. AOC-certified red and white wines as well as sparkling wines are served in numerous open cellars.

Journey

The journey from northern Germany is via Duisburg, Maastricht and Liège to Paris. From there, it is around 132 km via the A10 motorway to Orléans. The shortest route, for example from Hamburg to Orléans, is a good 1,000 km. The large volume of traffic around the Paris metropolitan area often leads to traffic hold-ups and waiting times. It is therefore advisable to avoid this area as much as possible. Travellers from southern Germany travel to Orléans via Stuttgart, Strasbourg, Nancy and Troyes. From Leipzig, the route leads via Frankfurt a.M., Saarbrücken and Metz to the destination. The provincial capital is around 926 km from Munich, around 720 km from Stuttgart and 1,100 km from Leipzig. In addition to the heavy traffic in the greater metropolitan area of the capital all year round, you can expect more cars on the roads from the beginning of July until around September. This is the time of the French summer holidays, when many people travel from the north of France to the Mediterranean coast. The rest areas in France are usually equipped with modern facilities, such as picnic areas and Wi-Fi. Larger rest areas also offer travellers a variety of shopping facilities, cafés and restaurants for a longer break. In some cases, there are also playgrounds where children can let off steam after sitting for a long time.

Destinations in Centre-Val-de-Loire

The Centre-Val-de-Loire enchants holidaymakers with its idyllic Renaissance castles and ornate gardens. Orléans impresses with its medieval charm, and in Amboise, Leonardo da Vinci's inventiveness is showcased at his retirement home.

Orléans

Orléans is located in the north-east of the Centre-Val-de-Loire in the Orléonais sub-region. The faithfully reconstructed Maison de Jeanne d'Arc contains an exhibition on the life story of this courageous peasant girl during the Hundred Years' War. Another landmark of Orléans is Ste-Croix Cathedral, which is impossible to miss with its 106 metre-high vaulted ceiling and filigree towers.

Chenonceau Castle

One of the most popular Loire castles is the Château de Chenonceau, perched on elegant round arches in the water. The garden features an extensive yew labyrinth, a romantic rose garden and a glass greenhouse. Visitors enter the building through an entrance portal decorated with coats of arms. The rooms house a collection of paintings by Rubens and Correggio.

Clos Lucé - in the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci

In 1516, Leonardo da Vinci accepted the invitation of the French king and moved into the Clos Lucé manor house. The artistic and technical genius lived and worked here until his death in 1519. The building now functions as a museum and provides an insight into da Vinci's living conditions and working environment.

Activities and excursions

A well-developed network of cycle paths runs through the region and connects the Loire castles with one another. Travellers without their own bikes can hire bikes by the day or week in Tours or Amboise, for example. Tourist information centres provide free cycling guides with various excursions.

Boat trips on the Loire

On an idyllic boat trip, passengers can enjoy the view of the green, partly wooded banks of the Loire. Active holidaymakers can organise an excursion by canoe - including stopovers at cosy bathing spots.

Wine hike through Menetou Salon

A 10-kilometre circular hike through the Menetou Salon wine-growing region starts from Morogues. The signposted trail leads through vineyards past information boards about winegrowing. Time and again, hikers are treated to panoramic views, for example of the magnificent cathedral in nearby Bourges.

Airy balloon rides

During a peaceful balloon flight over the Loire, holidaymakers have the opportunity to enjoy a bird's eye view of the varied natural landscape and the architectural details of the Loire castles. The flights from Amboise take around one hour. The excursion takes around three hours, including preparation and dismantling time for the balloon.

Gastronomy

In the wine-growing regions of Touraine or Orléanais, the grapes cultivated include Cabernet franc, Grollau and Muscadet. Travellers can enjoy these in the Maison des Vins des Centre-Val-de-Loire with a regional soft goat's cheese such as Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. Pike from the Loire with butter sauce or shad with various wild mushrooms are served with a dry Sauvignon blanc. After a light fish dish, gourmets are served regional desserts such as pithiviers. The puff pastry tart with almond filling is flavoured with a hint of vanilla, orange or apricot, depending on the recipe. Tarte Tatin, which consists of apples and a shortcrust or puff pastry base, comes from Sologne. The tart is baked upside down so that the sugared apples caramelise in their own juices.

Best time to visit

In the summer months of June to August, the thermometer in the Centre-Val-de-Loire climbs to an average maximum temperature of around 26 degrees Celsius during the day. These months are also the driest of the year. Thanks to the occasional moderate rainfall, the landscape is lush and green even in summer, and the warm winds that blow into the Loire Valley from the Atlantic provide pleasant temperatures for camping in the Centre-Val-de-Loire and outdoor activities even during the low season in spring and autumn. Particularly in September and October, after the busy high season, holidaymakers can spend quiet and relaxing days at an average temperature of around 20 degrees. With up to eight hours of sunshine, these seasons are ideal for cycling tours or hikes along the Loire.