Centre Property Guide

Centre Location

Centre is located in northern part of central France and is famous for its chateaux in the Loire Valley. It is circled by Normandy and Ile-de-France to the North. Flanked to the west by Western Loire and Poitou-Charente. On the south it is bordered by Limousin and Auvergne, and Burgundy to the East. The departments are: Cher, Eure-et-Loir, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher and Loiret

Centre Landscape

The Centre région is dominated by the Loire Valley. Cenntre includes the rich, fertile valleys of the Loire River and its tributaries: Cher, Indre, Eure, etc. It is also famous for the grand châteaux of the Loire Valley which attract many tourists to the area. In general the landscape is flat with gently rolling hills to the south.

Centre Attractions

There are so many chateaux to visit - where do you start? We suggest you take in the following:

• Château de Chambord

• Château de Cheverny

• Château de Chenonceau

• Château Royal de Blois

• Château d'Amboise

• Château de Fougères-sur-Bière

• Château de Beauregard

Of the major towns in the region: Orleans, Chatres, Blois, Tours, and Chinon  are well worth visiting. Try cycling alongside the Loire Valley and enjoy many village stops en route. There many wines to sample on the way so be careful!

Centre is also home to two of France's great cathedrals, at Bourges and Chartres.

Centre Weather

There is an old saying that once you get to the south of the Loire, the weather improves. Certainly there are long lazy sunny Summers with blue skies without the temperatures getting excessively hot. It is green so it does rain but only short sharp showers in the Summer. Winters can be cold but still with plenty of sunshine.

Getting there

It is almost equidistant from all the major sea ports along the channel coast and there is a good network of autoroutes into the region. Perhaps Roscoff port is the furthest away!

Good train services from Paris.

You can fly into either of the two Paris air-ports (Orly / Charles de Gaulle) or use a budget airline to Tours. Limoges airport is only a short drive away if you want to access the south of the Centre region.

Centre population

2,500,000.

Major Towns/Cities

Blois - The famous Château de Blois, a Renaissance château once occupied by King Louis XII, is located in the centre of the city, and an 18th century stone bridge spans the Loire. As Blois is centered on a pair of steep hills, winding and steep pathways run through the city, culminating in long staircases at various points. To the west of town, the Forêt de Russy is a reminder of the heavy woods that once covered the area.

Chartres- The town is best known for the Cathedral of Chartres; widely considered to be the finest gothic cathedral in France.

Orleans - a splendid town with an attractive old centre sitting on the Loire. You can admire the renaissance architecture and visit the Cathedrale Sainte-Croix, Joan of Arc Maison, and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Tours - famous for its old part of the city called Le Vieux Tours with medieval style houses in half-timbering and Place Plumereau, a square with pubs and restaurants full of people who dine and drink outside at tables filling the center of the square. Boulevard Beranger crosses Rue Nationale at Place Jean-Jaures, and is the location of weekly markets and fairs.

Centre Prices

Property prices along the Loire Valley can be expensive but as you travel away from the Loire prices begin to drop. The south of region is relatively cheap.

Price Guideline
Apartments: 120,000 + euros
Farmhouses: 80,000 euros (needs renovation)
Townhouses: 130,000 euros
Villas: 250,000 euros
Land: from 15 euros per sq. m

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