Montresor guide - Val de Loire, France travel

Visitez Montresor : gites | hotels | location des voitures | explore Loire Valley

Montresor ('most beautiful villages of the Loire') is found 20 km east of Loches, in the Centre region of France.

Tourist Information

Montresor sits quietly on the banks of the Indrois River, with its fine chateau as a romantic backdrop to the village.

The village retains its 11th century fortress, built on top of a rocky outcrop (with walls, towers and gate intact) and a medieval covered market, and is truly one of those 'step back in time' villages that are found so infrequently. Built originally for defensive purposes, the chateau was transformed into a Renaissance Mansion in the 15th century.

The village itself is clustered around the base of the castle, and has some very pretty little houses spread along the Indrois River, and some equally attractive half-timbered houses.

On a slightly less plausible note, the village is supposed to have got its name from King Gontran, the grandson of Clovis, who dreamed of treasure while he slept beside the river, and awoke to be told by a servant of a lizard he had seen glowing with gold. A quick search of the area, and the treasure soon revealed itself.

The nearby countryside is a maze of pretty walks so that you can make the most of the attractive countryside - the tourist offices can point you in the right direction. Watersports, angling and horse-riding are also popular local activities (when you tire of Chateau spotting).