12-Nights Normandy, Brittany, Paris & the Loire Valley - Land Journey

Tauck

Normandy, Brittany, Paris & the Loire Valley

A château, a 1,000-year-old village and the magic of Paris... inexorably entwined like the woven threads of medieval tapestries... your travels in northern France honor timeless traditions, share stories of valor and courage, and celebrate landscapes so beautiful they are immortalized by artists and poets... Your accommodations are unique, including two nights at Château de Rochecotte - called "home" in the 1700s by Prince Tallyrand and the Duchess of Dino. At Château de Champchevrier, owned by the same family since the 1720s, Le Baron personally welcomes Tauck guests during a private reception and dinner that includes a hunting hounds demonstration in full regalia. Formal gardens inspire awe during your visit to Château de Villandry, and the Apocalypse and Bayeux tapestries mesmerize at Château d'Angers and Château Josselin near the Brittany Coast. Visit Normandy's poignant D-Day beaches, magnificent Mont-St-Michel, Monet's beloved Giverny and Chartres Cathedral. In Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral entices with Gothic wonders; explore Musée d'Orsay along with Paris' landmark sites; and bid Paris adieu with a farewell dinner at the iconic restaurant Fouquet's.

Featured Destinations

Port du Crouesty Port du Crouesty Port du Crouesty has a great setting opposite the lovely islands of the Golfe de Morbihan in south Brittany, 32 km from the historic town of Vannes and ideal for exploring Carnac and this superb region.
Loire Valley Loire Valley The Loire Valley is rich with meandering streams, majestic oaks, quiet roads, and lush green countryside. Its royal châteaux and pastoral villages grace its overwhelming natural beauty. Easy access from Paris, breathtaking architectural masterpieces, tiny discoveries hidden in the gentle folds of the landscape, accommodations from delightful to sumptuous, the excitement of great food and wine, and sports and leisure activities make this an ideal spot for an unforgettable holiday. Visitors can delight in picturesque cobblestone streets and take day tours to many points of interest just minutes from every major Loire Valley town. The patchwork fields, cool forests and lazy rivers of the Loire Valley invite active vacationers to walk, cycle, windsurf, sail and canoe in the gentle countryside. Visitors can drift leisurely over the châteaux and countryside in a hot air balloon or enjoy spectacular sights while floating along on a houseboat or barge.	Destination Guide
Chateaux Country
Paris Paris Paris, world capital of art and culture, gathers some of the most famous museums and monuments in the world. Like all the world's great capitals, Paris lives at a fast pace, by day, by night and especially at rush hours. Bear in mind that museums and monuments are often less crowded during the week. Sights that should not be missed include: The Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay. Visit any of the many others according to your tastes and interests: the Musee Picasso, Musee Rodin, Musee Carnavalet, Musee Marmottan and the Arab Institute are just a few. Essential Paris monuments are the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe or the Grande Arche de la Defense.	Destination Guide
Deauville Deauville The town of Deauville is famous for its harbour and pleasure boats, beaches, luxurious hotels and casino as well as magnificent race track and annual film festival.	Destination Guide
St. Malo St. Malo Saint Malo is a prime tourist destination in Brittany. Visitors flock to Saint Malo to experience the unique "intra-muros" (meaning within the walls) streets of the old citadel. Visit Saint Vincent Cathedral, noted for its medieval and modern stained glass windows. The museum in Château de Saint Malo has exhibits illustrating the city's prosperous time during its heydays of piracy, colonialism and slave trading. The ramparts afford great views over the roof tops and harbor. Saint Malo also serves as a gateway for excursions to legendary Mont Saint Michel - with the Abbey of Mont Saint Michel and its ensemble of buildings soaring high above the sea. As amazing as the abbey itself are extraordinary tide variations that leave the mount to look out on stretches of bare sand at low tide, while the same expanse of land is submerged during high tide. South of Saint Malo is the medieval town of Dinan. Once totally surrounded by ramparts, 14 towers and a good part of the walls are still standing, encircling beautiful 15th-century timbered houses.	Destination Guide
Versailles Versailles Transformed from a hunting lodge into a monumental Chateau, this medieval village and farmland curled around the castle bringing much prosperity to northern France during the 13th century. By late 17th century, King Louis XIV’s transformation of Versailles established the permanent residency of the royal court and government. Simultaneously, a new city was emerging by the decree of the king who would annually tax its residents who purchased land. While population sky-rocketed, so did the city adding new French architectures to the new neighborhoods, churches, markets, and mansions. Versailles’s main attraction is its Palace a status symbol of cultural nobility. Within the Palace are significantly decorated rooms for guests of the royal court who often visit and gardens that hosted grandeur parties for the rich and famous. In 1979, the Palace and Park of Versailles, the epitome of royal elegance of Old Europe, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.	Destination Guide

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