Overview

Situated on a hill overlooking the Indre in the center of the Loire Valley, Loches remains one of the best-preserved medieval cities in France today. With its charming cobblestone streets, panoramic views of the surrounding forest landscape, and vibrant marketplace and cuisine, Loches has a particular genuine beauty difficult to find elsewhere. A half-hour from Tours and a three-hour drive from Paris, it’s a hidden gem that many tourist don’t take the time to detour to, but should!

Things to see and do

Explore the French history of Loches by wandering through the cobblestone streets taking in the historic sites of the town. The river Indre runs right through the heart of town giving it additional character and appeal. Its narrow, traffic free streets in the old town could be the same ones traveled by the kings, queens and heroines of its medieval past.

Start your explorations at the Collegiate Church of Saint-Ours, a Romanesque structure dating back to the 11th century. Take note of the intricate and unique carvings of animals around the front door. Inside you’ll discover the tomb of Angnes Sorel, known for her distinct elegance and allure. She died suspiciously at 25 after giving birth to her fourth child (scholars speculate mercury poisoning).

Take a stroll up to the Royal Lodgings or the logis royal. This is the hill Joan of Arc rode after her victory at Orleans in June of 1429. Her mission was to convince Charles VII (then a dauphin) to travel to Reims and be crowned as the rightful king of France.

The castle keep, or, donjon, is one of the oldest in Europe. Constructed in 1030 as a defensive structure by Foulques Nerra, the Duke of Anjou, it was turned into a prison in 1801 by Louis XI, son of Charles VII. Make your way to the top of the tower to take in the beautiful panoramic views of the countryside, where approaching enemies could have been seen from miles away.

Further down the hill you’ll find the lively outdoor market (open Wednesdays and Saturdays), considered one of the best in the region. Mingle with the local shoppers and farmers and sample local specialties such as fresh goat cheese, rillettes, and rillons (slow-cooked, extremely flavorful morsels of pork belly).

If you stay for more than one day, Loches’s nearby attractions include the Beaulieu-lès-Loches (a sister city to Loches that was its rival for 700 years) and, about a mile north, Chenonceau, a small château built over the River Cher, where Catherine de Medici governed France as a regent from her little green room.

Food and Drink Specialties

Brossauthym, a French cheese originating from Tours. The cheese is made with raw ewe's milk and flavored with thyme, hence the unusual name.

Couronne Lochoise is a small French cheese produced in limited quantities in the area around Loches. The cheese is made with goat's milk and has a bloomy, ash-coated, delicately thin rind. The interior is white with a smooth, creamy, and buttery texture.

Brebis du Lochois is a modern French cheese originating from central France. It is made with ewe's milk and ages for 2 weeks before consumption. The texture is tender, the aromas herby, while the flavors are smooth, buttery, and slightly smoky and woody due to the beech ashes used in its production.

Rillettes de Tours is a spread made from pork meat that has been slowly cooked in a pot of pork fat. It is made in the French area of the city of Tours. Rillettes is sold all over the charcuteries in France, where the locals affectionately call it 'pig jam', usually presented in a pot or a jar, where it can be covered with a layer of fat to preserve the product.

Vouvray is a sparkling white wine that is made with the traditional method, in which the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. The predominant grape, Chenin Blanc, is used in Vouvray, and the wines come as petillant, which includes semi-sparkling varieties produced with an ancient method, and fully sparkling mousseux.

Bourgueil is a red wine produced in the central Loire valley with Cabernet Franc, locally known as Brenton, as the principal grape variety. Since the region stretches across different terrain, the red wines can slightly differ, producing light-bodied and fruit-forward styles, as well as more powerful variations.

Chinon is produced in the central Loire valley. It is a well-structured French wine made from Cabernet Franc grapes. The region expands over different soil, which influences the final character of the wine.

Loches offers many fine bistros and restaurants, as well as a number of terraces where you can enjoy a glass of Vouvray or St Nicolas Bourgueil and take in the ambiance on a beautiful afternoon.

Markets

The market at Loches is held every Wednesday and Saturday morning and is a good way to start off a visit. The stalls are set up in a meandering fashion, winding their way through its medieval streets - an excellent backdrop for an interesting morning's stroll. On market day the town turns into a lively community where locals and visitors alike join together. Like most markets in the area, the market ends by 12 noon, just in time for lunch.

There are summer night markets in Loches that takes place until the end of June/beginning of August time frame. It starts at 6pm and goes until midnight.