It’s a World Heritage Site with many small villages and towns which have grown around the larger châteaux over the years, so there is plenty to discover and enjoy.

Attractions and Adventure
The Loire River is the longest river in France and there are many beautiful views, picnic spots and walks along its banks.

• All the best chateaux are within a 25 minute drive, and most chateaux have things that will interest kids, such as mazes, play areas, bike/boat hire [TripAdvisor member, Somerset]. Blois is 15 minutes (horse and carriage around town a must); Chenonceau (built as a bridge across the Loire) and Chambord (the largest chateau in the Loire, and one of the most recognisable in France) about 25 minutes — both absolutely stunning.
• Amboise chateau is a hidden gem. It looks old and dilapidated from outside but appearances are deceptive — the roof garden is breathtaking. The town of Amboise is a must, beautiful and traditional [TripAdvisor member, London].

Château Chaumont-sur-Loire is the closest to Dugny, and is famed for its stunning gardens, which are both recreational and interactive. The gardens are created in the shape of a tree, with each branch themed in a different way. From April to October the gardeners are on-hand to pass on their expert knowledge to visitors through a series of shows.

On a smaller scale, the Châteaux de la Loire en Miniature (20km from Domaine de Dugny) features mini-versions of the 44 most prestigious Châteaux of the Loire. Along the one mile walk there are bonsai trees, 10,000 figurines and miniature railways. Tickets cost around 12.75 euros for an adult.

• Don’t miss Kayaking down the Loire with Loire Kayaks (just outside Blois). They take you 6k down river and you kayak back in your own time (take a picnic and make a day of it – fabulous!) [TripAdvisor member, Somerset].
• Fantasy Forest (climbing/paintballing for kids) is a good bargaining tool for kids when you want to visit chateaux, but it is a bit expensive [TripAdvisor member, Somerset].
• The region is lovely for cycling, with flat roads little villages to find. [TripAdvisor member, Ireland].
• Don’t miss a trip to Beauval Zoo it was a fantastic day out well worth the money. [TripAdvisor member, Scotland]. Beauval is home to over 4,000 animals and the zoo has been described as one of the world’s 15 best! It has the largest elephant plain in France, an African Savannah with over 80 animals, one of the biggest sea-lion swimming pools in Europe and rare animals including white lions and white tigers.
• Look out for leaflets for Lulu park, which is full of bouncy castles, slides, swings, trampolines and much more [TripAdvisor member, Scotland].
• If you plan to go fishing in the pool at Domaine de Dugny, there’s a good head of small fish with some big carp and sturgeon as well. The biggest I had was a 22lb mirror carp but I did hear of a 25lb mirror coming out just before we left [TripAdvisor member, Essex].

The troglodytes at Saumur are small stone dwellings, some of which were used by prehistoric man, but many that have been carved out to use as cellars and storage rooms. On a much larger scale, there is the La Ville Souterraine, an underground city created by artists.

Food, restaurants and markets

• We found a restaurant called Hotel du Pont in the village of Molineuf, and we sat by the river and threw bread to the fish. The food was excellent and a very reasonable price. [TripAdvisor member, Ireland]

The market in Amboise is one of the biggest in the region. The Friday market has 30 to 70 traders and sells food and regional delicacies. On Sunday morning, there 150 to 200 stalls selling even more varieties of local wine, cheese, meat, fruit, vegetables, honey, fish, oysters and a whole variety of locally produced extras.

Tours is known as the city of 30 street markets. There is an excellent covered food market on Place des Halles, with additional produce on the square outside on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. There’s a gourmet market that takes place on the first Friday of every month, from 4pm to 10pm, and the Foire à l’Ail et au Basilic, a garlic & basil fair, at Sainte Anne at the end of July.

Where to stay
Domaine de Dugny is an outstanding 4-star holiday parc with a popular kids clubs and a highly praised pool complex. The parc is relaxing and tranquil for parents, and close to many of the region’s best attractions. If you need any pointers, the team know the area intimately. There’s also a small lake on parc that’s good for boating and fishing – there are some big beasts in there!

Maître Kaisen, a Buddhist living in the Dordogne, has written a book saying that many of the qualities associated with playing la pétanque, or boules, help in good quality meditation.

His theory is that petanque players move towards a meditative state when they line up a shot, as they ignore distractions, focus on their breathing and forget about their self and others.

La Pétanque originated in southern France but is now popular across the country. Players throw metal balls as close towards a small wooden jack, with the winner getting their boule closest to this ball.

So for a calmer late summer, it’s not too late to book a break and experience your own siblu meditative break… boule and pitches are included at no cost. 

For a calmer end to the year, I recommend you try Domaine de Kerlann in Brittany (from £244 starting 12 September), Domaine Dugny in the Loire Valley (from £298 starting 20 September) or Les Charmettes in Charente Maritime (from £242 starting 18 September). All prices are based on a 7-night holiday for a family, with Dover to Calais ferries included.

There will be 20 gardens shown, selected from more than 300 projects across the world. Although Gardens of Colour sounds like an obvious title, the organisers stress that the colours are an essential part of any garden, creating harmony, contrasts and balance by endlessly combining beams of light.

The 2009 festival promises to offer stark contrast to the dull monotones of life and cities, and provide colour combinations that will have an undeniable effect on the viewers’ senses and mind.

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The following article was written by travel journalist David Powell, who describes the magic of a recent visit.

Recently Disneyland Resort Paris welcomed its 200 millionth visitor, certainly an achievement that reflects its status as the most visited tourist destination in Europe. Since opening in April 1992 it’s interesting to see how the resort has grown in size. To quote one of Disney’s many facts and figures – it is now about 1/5th the size of Paris itself! I decided it was time to produce an update on what the UK visitor can expect.

THE MAGIC
Disneyland Resort Paris is big and as you would expect, full of white-knuckle roller coasters, lovely themed rides for children of all ages, some great shows and parades featuring the ever popular Disney characters. There are now two parks here, the original Disneyland Park with Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan and Dumbo, to name but a few, and The Walt Disney Studios Park with its famous Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Studio Backlot Tram Tour and a spectacular car stunt show. You’ll need a few days to explore it all.

So what’s new? … Disney have had a policy for a number of years of regularly adding to their attractions, and the last year or so has seen the introduction of some excellent new rides. Located next to Space Mountain, the Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast is a super, interactive ride for all ages, based on Toy Story 2. Your mission is to become a Space Ranger and save the toys by blasting the evil Zorg with your laser guns – great fun!
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Head off to the Studios Park to find Cars Race Rally. Inspired by the Disney/Pixar film Cars, guests of all ages can climb aboard for a zany, spinning ride on the famous Route 66. This is a well thought out attraction and you could quite easily imagine you’re in Radiator Springs. The new Crush’s Coaster is situated nearby based on the film Finding Nemo. Climb aboard a turtle shell and plunge into the thrilling underwater world of Nemo and his friend Crush, with sophisticated lighting, sound effects and imaging technology to create a wonderful whirl through the East Australian current. Don’t be fooled like me, by the colourful, relaxing Nemo graphics and sound effects – this is a high speed thrill ride and you need to hold on tight!

Disney introduced their newest and biggest attraction in 2008. Towering over the Studios Park – the awesome Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Guests entering this run down hotel are taken by elevator to the 13th floor and dropped at what seems faster than the speed of gravity! This ride has already become one of the Parks most favourite attractions.

DINING OUT
There are numerous fast food outlets spread throughout both of the Parks, so you’re never far from a hot dog and french fries. If however you feel like a family meal out in the evening then Disney Village is your best bet, although it needs to be carefully budgeted for. For example the Steak House were charging €25.50 for a rump steak, €21.90 for a lasagne and a pint of 1664 would set you back a hefty €7.50.

Two restaurants I would suggest for a family meal are Annette’s Diner, where the staff race around on roller skates, and the iconic Planet Hollywood. Planet Hollywood turned out to be a great fun experience. With music dvd’s playing on large wall screens the atmosphere was electric, with most of the diners singing along to the occasional James Brown or Abba track. The food was of a high standard and the service excellent. Great value for money and a superb way to finish off a busy day at the Parks. On the way out check out the celebrity hand prints on the wall!

CONCLUSION
It’s Disney’s attention to detail that makes this an amazing experience. There’s something happening all of the time, from appearances by favourite Disney characters, to well produced shows, fabulous parades and fireworks like only Disney can put on. The management of Disneyland Resort Paris are continuously working on new attractions and experiences for the future, for now this remains a great family theme park and a could make a good day trip destination whilst on your siblu holiday.

David Powell – travel journalist