Discover the Loire Valley Through Art, Literature, and Flavour

An Immersive Journey by Jardins Haute Couture

The Loire Valley has long stirred the imagination of history’s greatest minds — from Rabelais, whose exuberant tales of Gargantua unfold in the gentle hills near Chinon, to Balzac, who set his great human dramas along the banks of the Indre. Poets such as Ronsard and Du Bellay, exiled visionaries like Leonardo da Vinci, modern masters including Calder, Max Ernst, and Dorothea Tanning, even the secret romance of Rodin and Camille Claudel — all found inspiration in this landscape of rivers, forests, and soft golden stone.

On this bespoke luxury journey, you will wander through vineyards, fields, and intimate villages, discovering the homes, studios, and vistas that shaped centuries of creativity. You’ll explore how art, literature, gardens, and gastronomy intertwine — and meet the artists and artisans who continue this spirit today.

This all-inclusive, seven-day, seven-night experience combines gourmet meals in carefully chosen restaurants with a delightful stay at Jardins Haute Couture — an elegant manor house with award-winning gardens and a deeply cosy atmosphere. Designed for small groups of six to twelve guests, every moment is curated for comfort, authenticity, and privileged access far from the crowds.

Your host, Coral, is a local expert with more than twenty years of life in the Loire Valley. Art historian, garden specialist, guide, and storyteller, she knows its hidden corners, secret addresses, and the most delicious tables tucked away from the tourist path.

More than a tour, this is a journey into the creative soul of the Loire Valley — where art, literature, wine, and flavour reveal a deeper, more intimate sense of place.

In the Footsteps of Kings, Queens, Warriors & Saints

The Loire Valley Through the Ages — A Journey by Jardins Haute Couture

The Loire Valley is more than a land of serene rivers and golden stone — it is a living chronicle of European history, shaped by the ambitions of kings, the courage of warriors, and the devotion of saints. Here, in this enchanted landscape, dynasties rose, legends were born, and spiritual traditions took root that still resonate today.

Our journey opens with the great Plantagenet dynasty, whose empire once stretched from the Pyrenees to the Irish Sea. From their Angevin origins and the formidable Counts of Anjou — including the legendary builder Fulk Nerra — we explore the mighty medieval fortresses of Saumur, Langeais and Loches, where strategy, conquest, and power were forged in stone. We continue to Le Mans, birthplace of Henry II, before returning to the dramatic stronghold of Chinon, the strategic centre of their empire.

At the heart of this epic lineage stands one of history’s most extraordinary women: Aliénor d’Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine). Duchess of Aquitaine, Queen of France, Queen of England, and mother of kings, Eleanor brought to the Loire and Poitou the refined brilliance of her court — poetry, music, chivalry, diplomacy, and an intellect that shaped the destiny of Europe. Our path follows her from the cultural ferment of Poitou to her final resting place at the majestic Abbey of Fontevraud, where her serenely carved effigy lies beside Henry II and Richard the Lionheart.

From these royal and poetic worlds, we move into the fire and turmoil of the Hundred Years’ War. In the same landscapes, centuries later, a young peasant girl forever altered the fate of France. Walking in the footsteps of Joan of Arc, we trace her arrival at Chinon, her meeting with the hesitant Dauphin, and the divine mission that led her to victory and sainthood.

Yet the Loire Valley’s legacy begins even earlier — in the quiet radiance of a saint.
Long before empires rose and fell, the valley was shaped by Saint Martin of Tours, soldier, monk, bishop, and miracle-worker. We follow a gentle pilgrimage route honouring his life:

✨ Tours, where he served as bishop and where one of Christianity’s most important shrines holds his relics.
✨ Candes-Saint-Martin, the exquisite village at the confluence of the Loire and Vienne where he died in 397.
✨ The legendary Miracle of the Translation, when, according to tradition, the Loire Valley burst into sudden spring bloom as his body was carried upriver to Tours.

This spiritual thread weaves a sense of continuity through a landscape shaped equally by faith and power.

Throughout this seven-day, seven-night all-inclusive journey, every detail is curated for comfort, insight, and pleasure:
gourmet meals, local wines, aperitifs, luxury transportation, private tours, exclusive experiences, and the warm hospitality of Jardins Haute Couture.
Your home for the week is an elegant manor house surrounded by award-winning gardens — a haven of crackling fires, cosy evenings, deep comfort, and intimate charm.

Guided by Coral, an expert in Loire heritage with over twenty years of experience, you will uncover not only the grand narratives of kings, queens, warriors, and saints, but also the quieter stories, hidden corners, and timeless rhythms that make the Loire Valley one of the historical hearts of France.

More than a tour, this is an immersion into the living soul of medieval France — a journey through power, devotion, courage, and the enduring stones that still whisper their tales.