This region has something for everyone, whether you love architecture, culture or history, you enjoy gastronomy or walking, you want to holiday by the coast, or you want to take a journey to discover the world-renowned castles.
Not to be missed? Visit Brissac château, the tallest in France, with its seven floors and 204 rooms, Brézé château, the most unusual, with its huge underground fortress, or Lude château, renowned for its beautiful gardens.
Fontevraud Abbey, a monastic centre founded in the twelfth century, occupies a 35-acre site. The troglodyte houses in Forges are also worth a visit.
In Nantes, visit the château, which is home to a museum about the city’s history. Push open the cathedral door and cross the Schœlcher footbridge to reach the Isle of Nantes, where you can discover the mechanical animals at the Machines de l'île amusement park.
Stroll along the narrow streets of the medieval town of Angers admiring its wooden houses, and visit Saint-Maurice Cathedral and Angers château, a 17-tower fortress built in the 12thcentury.
Le Mans, famous for its racetrack, is a remarkable medieval city. Be sure not to miss Cité Plantagenêt, Saint-Julien Cathedral and the Tessé Museum of Fine Arts.
If you are on holiday in Pays de la Loire as a family, spend a day at Puy du Fou, a history-themed theme park, or at La Flèche Zoo.
There are lovely tourist resorts along the coast such as La Baule or Pornichet, and many thalassotherapy centres, not forgetting Noirmoutier Island.
Make the most of your holiday in the region with a meal in a Michelin-starred restaurant or sample the Loire Valley’s wines.
To get there, fly into Nantes, or take the train from Paris to Nantes, Angers or Le Mans. Cross-Channel ferries are also a convenient way of reaching this region.
With castles, gastronomy and historic cities, Pays de la Loire will not disappoint.