Named "Centre" for its location in the heart of France, this remarkable region is dominated by the legendary Loire Valley. It is easily accessible from Paris, thanks to numerous autoroutes and the TGV high-speed train, which makes its Paris-to-Tours run in only 55 minutes. From early spring to late autumn, natural splendors abound in the valleys of the Loire and its eastern tributaries, the rivers Indre, Cher, Beuvron, Sauldre, and Allier.
Centre is also home to two of France’s great cathedrals, at Bourges and Chartres. The latter contains some of the best examples of stained glass in France, fashioned by the same master-craftsmen who later constructed the magnificent windows of King Louis IX’s Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
