History theme
From Blois to Chenonceau, all the castles have been a venue for major historical events in the past. Visiting them is a great way to experience the history of France in a new and concrete way as you discover the historical venues and the important characters that lived there.
Examples of sites to visit :
- Blois, Chenonceau or Chambord castles
Heritage theme
Discover Renaissance architecture or the different trades involved in quarrying freestone, analyze the architecture of a town… Numerous educational activities are organized for school groups.
Examples of things to do :
- Commanderie d’Arville : Medieval-themed activities (medieval illuminations, calligraphy, pottery, etc.).
- Discover the geometrical architectural design of the château de Chambord
- Quarrying freestone from the stone quarry in Bourré
Examples of tours :
STONE THEMED TOUR – (Students aged 8 & up to High School)
- Discover Blois (surprising visit or rally).
- Discover the architecture and the origins of stone with the CAUE (Architecture, Urbanism and Environment advice body) and visit the troglodyte site in Bourré (mushroom farm, underground town, quarry and freestone extraction).
- Workshop « Stones for a castle » or visit the Natural History Museum.
- Construction and architecture of the Renaissance castles: educational workshop in Chambord, visit the Clos-Lucé.
- Sculpture and stone-cutting workshop.
BLOIS, CITY OF ART AND HISTORY –*Advanced Vocational Certificate – Tourism
- The Loire, history, valorization issues and implication on the area. Landscape reading with Observatoire Loire.
- Guided visit of Blois.
- Discussions on the theme of the riches of the Loire Valley and the vision for tourism in the future.
- A different way to discover the Loire: presentation of elements of a tourism action plan.
Environment theme
From the Loire to the wetlands in Sologne, from the forest to the plains of cereals grown in the Beauce region without forgetting the wine producing areas, the Loir-et-Cher has a host of different natural environments that are easy to discover and observe during your stay.
Examples of things to do :
- Observatoire Loire and the Maison de la Loire: discovery trips suitable for school groups.
- Maison de la Nature: educational trail to discover the nature reserve vallées de la Grand Pierre et de Vitain (site of European interest).
Example of a holiday :
THE LOIRE VALLEY AND ITS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT – Advanced Vocational Certificate – Landscape, nature protection and management
- Presentation on the banks of the river Loire with Observatoire Loire: the Loire, it’s history, valorization issues, protection and regulatory tools…
- Guided visit of the nature reserve in vallées de la Grand-Pierre et de Vitain.
- Study of the natural environment in Sologne with the natural reserve of the l’étang de Beaumont.
- Vigil and debate with the Loire Observatory team about the richness and diversity of the local flora and fauna.
- Discussions with the hydraulic engineers from the river associations about the regional/ territorial reservoir contracts.
Art theme
In Blois, the Maison de la BD (dedicated to comics strips and comics), the Fondation du doute, (entirely dedicated to the Fluxus movement), and the Maison de la Magie (magic themed exhibitions) can be destinations for artistic holidays.
Examples of things to do :
- Introductory workshops for comic strips, scenario writing, press illustrations, digital drawings at the Maison de la BD.
- Discovery workshops at the Maison de la Magie (from primary school to high school students).
Example of a holiday :
ARTWORK HOLIDAY: THE LOIRE VALLEY AT THE TIP OF YOUR PENCIL – from age 8 and up to High School students
- Discovery trip into the world of comics trips and cartoons: workshop at the Maison de BD in Blois.
- Sketching workshop and visit of the château de Blois with an illustrator of children’s books.
- The “too good to be missed” in the Loire Valley: guided visit of the château de Cheverny and Moulinsarts secrets, fun visit or workshop at the château de Chambord.
- Drawing, architecture and Renaissance: drawing workshop with an illustrator of children’s books, fun visit of Blois, Clos-Lucé visit.
Terroir and gastronomy theme
On the land in the Loir-et-Cher, crops are grown, animals are reared and wine is made, it’s an ideal opportunity to learn about the different aspects of local agriculture.
Examples of things to do :
- Cheese-making on the farm
- Educational farm visit
- A fun walk around a vineyard
Example of a holiday :
LOIRE VALLEY, A NATURAL GARDEN
- Market gardening using organic methods -– Visit the Jardins de Cocagne, a market garden that operates a sheltered employment program.
- On the farm, we learn things – Visit the Guilbardière farm: dairy cows (transformation, milk and faisselle cheese)
- Biodiversity – visit the reserve and discover the ecosystems in the Nature Reserve at Vallées de la Grand Pierre et de Vitain