Welcome to the gardens of the Loire Valley (France)
The Loire Valley is located in the middle stretch of the Loire river in central France, in both the administrative regions Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire. The area of the Loire Valley comprises about 800 square kilometres. It is referred to as the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and vegetable fields, which line the banks of the river. Notable for its historic towns, architecture, gardens and wines, the valley has been inhabited since the Middle Palaeolithic period. In 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the Loire River valley (between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes) to its list of World Heritage Sites for its outstanding cultural landscape.
Tours
Amboise
Loches
Chinon
Saumur
Valençay
Half-day or full-day garden tours - Touraine, Loire Valley
I can organise half-day or a full-day tours, according to your wishes and interests, combining visits of private gardens, lunches, wine tastings, and cruises on the Loire River, between the beginning of May and the end of September.
You can choose one of the three itineraries below, or we can tailor a programme to suit your requirements.
Please contact me by
Mediterranean inspirations
A day trip combining a visit to a magnificent garden with Mediterranean influences, a nursery owned by a lover of colors, and lunch in a charming restaurant.
At the foot of the hill
A getaway through the hills, between the Loire River and the plateau, combining a visit to a garden beautifully designed by its owner, a tasting of still Vouvray wines superbly vinified by a magician, and lunch near a Romanesque church.
Water... as a common theme
A getaway in Loir-et-Cher with water as a common theme, combining a visit to a wonderful garden nestled against the hillside, lunch at a restaurant mentioned in the Michelin Guide, and a cruise on the Loire River.
Sophie Le Berre and Jardins de Loire...
I was born in Tours, in 1966, and as far as I remember, I have always been attracted to flowers and gardens. Sundays spent in the countryside with my grandparents, who were pharmacists and had a wonderful knowledge of plants, mushrooms, birds and animals, surely helped me to develop a taste for nature from the beginning.
After studying Japanese at University, I spent five years in Japan, in Tokyo and Takamatsu, where I enjoyed hiking in the mountain, learning ikebana (Ohara school) and experiencing a different culture, a way of life in which the four seasons play an important and aesthetic role. Japan is a great country for self-introspection and contemplation. When I came back to France, I decided to follow Botany courses for adults at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, and I worked as a project manager at the CCVS, which is the French equivalent of Plant Heritage.
After many years working in various parts of France, experiencing different fields of activities, I have decided to come back to my hometown and start a new business as a freelance guide, in 2022.
My purpose, my objective is to give you the opportunity to visit private gardens in the Loire Valley, cruise on the Loire River with a passionate sailor, enjoy French cuisine and wine tasting, which are complementary and important elements of our "art de vivre". And take time to do it.
If you want to contemplate the landscape, to taste the food, the wine, to smell the flowers, to breathe the air of nature, to exchange with owners of private gardens, to share thoughts and ideas, then you are at the right place.
Sophie Le Berre
