P A R K S G A R D E N S. In a three hectare park of the domain of Chaumont-sur-Loire, redesigned by Jacques Wirtz, like an immense foliage, hedges of trinned beech trees enclose 25 gardens and astonishing canvas structures. In these gardens, where the desire to create is everpresent, you will find dozens of original ideas for your own garden. These exceptionnal gardens have been designed for your enjoyment by landscape architects from the world and change every year. In 2006 : Playing in Gardens! From April 29 until October 15. to know more about it. Conservatoire international des parcs et jardins Ferme du chteau 41150 Chaumont-sur-Loire Phone. : 02 54 20 99 22 Fax : 02 54 20 99 24 In 2003, from May 23 until October 19 Open from 9am until night. Festival des jardins Chaumont. Villandry The most beautiful garden la franaise in France! The gardens are open every day, all year round. The castle is open every day from February until mid-November from 9 am until 7 pm. These gardens are unique in Europe! Among the chteaux of the Loire, Villandy undoubtedly owes its fame to the splendid terraces of gardens which encase it like a jewelled casket. Three levels, three gardens : The water garden On the upper level, within a huge cloister of lime trees, a mirror-like lake collects the water required to irrigate the gardens and feed the fountains. The decorative ornamental garden is composed of three sections on the same level as the chteau : « the garden of love » and « the garden of music », where box, yew and flowers combine to form symbolic patterns, and « the herb garden » with aromatic plants and herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes. The ornamental kitchen garden At the lowest level, the splendid kitchen garden which is divided into decorative squares extends over an area of more than 12,500 m2. This garden is completely replanted twice a year, in spring an in summer. Always beautiful whatever the season! Arboretum national des Barres 45290 Nogent sur Vernisson Created in 1873 in a 35 hectare landscaped park by the well-know Vilmorin family, l'arboretum des Barres is like a real library of trees and present a collection of 2 500 vegetal varieties... Open every day from 15 March to 15 Nov. from 10 am until 6 pm. Guided visits every week-end and every day in July and August. Phone 02 38 97 62 21 Fax. 02 38 97 65 15. Le jardin potager du chteau de la Bussire 45230 La Bussire. Charming castle of the Route Jacques-Coeur, the castle of Bussire also named the fishermen castle because of his collection on fish subjets, has open recently a vegetables and flowers garden which has won in1995 a price from the national Horticulture Society of France. Open every day from 10 am until 12 and from 2 pm until 6 pm, except Tuesday, from end of March until beginning of November. Open every day in July and August. At 12 km from Gien. Phone 02 38 35 93 35 Fax. 02 38 35 94 13. Parc floral d'Orlans La Source Avenue du parc floral 45072 Orlans Phone 33+ 02 38 49 30 00 Fax 33+ 02 38 49 30 19. Nearby Orleans, on 35 hectares of the Castle of La Source's park, wonderful display of flowers over the year in the old tradition of Loire Valley pepinierists. 101 remarkables old trees, vegetables garden, iris collection and an amazing exotic butterflies green-house...

The Independent on Sunday. The Good Hotel Guide. Wine and Food guide to the Loire. Elected beyond the 20th favorites hotels and restaurants in France by English people. The Independent on Sunday. Didier is a giant, both physically and in terms of his culinary skills. In my opinion he will soon be a Michelin three-star cuisinier.. The most romantic luxury destination in France.. La Belle France (April 1999). Luxury Destination : The Literary High Life. In sleepy little Romorantin-Lanthenay, most inns capitalize on the village's central Loire Valley location by emphasizing its proximity to the great and by playing up the tourist's typical fascination with royal excess. Marie-Christine and Didier Clment of the Grand Htel du Lion d'Or opt for a completely different approach. Almost all brochures for the hotel prefer to situate the village squarely in the Sologne, a rustic district that is one of the last great hunting and fishing frontiers of France. The marshes and woodlands of the Sologne have their appeal... but this geographical subset of the Loire Valley is remarkably low on flash and glamour. We can safely assume taht the Clment's are making a statement about their priorities. Of course, Romorantin-Lanthenay does have historic connections to the French crown. Franois 1, the most enlightened and artistic of all French monarchs, grew up there. He liked it so much that he asked his friend, Leonardo da Vinci, to design a castle in Romorantin-Lanthenay for his mother in 1517. This proposed palace would surely have been one of the great architectural wonders of the Loire. Leonardo envisioned a structure spanning the arms of the Sauldre River and planned to assemble it with prefabricated units. Alas, the project was cancelled when Louise de Savoy died. nonetheless, one of Franois's contemporaries, Jean Gitton, did erect a major Renaissance mansion in the center of town. After the Revolution, the building became a postal relay and hotel. Today, the ancient Grand Lion d'Or flies the Relais Chteaux banner. One could imagine taht the intellectual spirit of Franois I's court still holds sway in Romorantin-Lanthenay. Upon entering the Lion d'Or, one immediately notices the great number of books piled on the tables and stacked on the shelves. These books are not mere decorative accompaniments to monogrammed bathrobes and champagne flutes. All were written by our very hosts. The carefully researched, imaginatively conceived tomes track, through literary excerpts and vorrespondence, the culinary philosophies (and favorite recipes) of authors George Sand, Colette, and Madame de Sgur. Edited by Albin Michel with atmospheric photographs by Andr Martin, the books are on sale in the hotel. In fact, the book theme even makes its way into the bedrooms. This is the only that we have eyer visited taht presents complimentary paperbacks on the bed tables - a very nice touch for travelers. The two choices present local themes : Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier is a classic, right-of-passage book for French high-school students; Maurice Genevoix's Raboliot tells a robust tale about poachers in the Sologne. Each of the sixteen guest rooms has a distinct personnality. Some must be classified as ultra-romantic. Number 17 is a sumptuous garden double with a nearly psychedelic array of pink-and-mint, marble for 1 700 F (300 U.S. dollars). The Lion d'Or courtyard - with its white wrought-iron balconies, flowing wisteria and orange blossom - is a Renaissance jewel box with a touch of the New Orleans Garden District. By candlelight, the dining room becomes a glistening banquet hall. The charm of the personnel and the delights of the menu, not to mention the rosy glow of the effervescent Champagne-and-Campari house cocktail, set the stage for a magical evening. In such a setting, one longs for the descriptive gift of George Sand. How can one affix a label to a dish as sublime as Didier Clment's. The translucent, golden petals of the zucchini flower are wrapped around a delicate stuffing of the sweetest possible shredded crabmeat. The whold creation is so supernaturally light that it nearly levitates off the plate. And yet, Clment's miracle working has hardly begun. the smoothness of his duck's is underlined by a hint of licorice. Fresh cod is cooked. baked with an earthy band of bacon, served with a hearry sauce thickened with potato and a of garlic, and adorned with a harlequin pattern of red, yellow, and green pepper. The wine confirmed the evening as a special event, although we should stress that this is not the place to spend 500 dollars on rare Burgundy. Describing the simple wines of the Loire Valley, Marie-Christine Clment displays the knowledge, joy, and passion of a true connoisseur. Her emotive ability allowed us to practically see the grapes growing on the wine. Rather than directing us to expensive vintages, she suggested a bottle of 1996 Savennires from Pierre Soulez for 160 F (28 dollars) that held up to the demands of Didier Clment's distinctive two-star cuisine. the bottle of 1996 Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes Les Graviers, which costs 200 F (34 dollars) proved the ideal accompaniment for the delicious goat's milk cheese made at Selles-sur-Cher, only seventeen kilometers west of Romorantin-Lanthenay. The sample wine prices should not give the impression that dining at the Lion d'Or is anything resembling a bargain. An la carte dinner for two before wine will cost at least 1.100 F (195 dollars). menus are available for 430 F and 630 F (76 dollars and 112 dollars). The Lion d'Or is rather formal, grown-up venue, but anyone bringing children should note that there is a marvelous playground within walking distance that features an extraordinary trampoline-style, air-mattress replica of a Medieval. Grand Htel du Lion d'Or : cuisine, 18; decor, 16; service, 18; wine list, 17; value, 18; total : 87.. What is the perfect recipe for a gastronomic visit to France ? Beautiful surrounding countryside rich in produce ? A kitchen where tradition is fused with talent and innovation ? An old town, steeped in history, yet retaining an everyday character, with bakeries, a butcher or two, hardware stores and a haberdasher ? Or a family-run hotel with a good wine cellar, built up by a wine lover with a total lack of pretension ? For many years now I have heard about Le Lion d'Or in Romorantin, south of Orlans, and my husband Tom and I finally went there recently. It more than lived up to its reputation. The Barrat family started Le Lion d'Or some 36 years ago, and their daughter, Marie-Christine, married to the chef Didier Clment, helps them at weekends. Otherwise, she is engaged in her primary task of culinary literature and research. She has written several books, especially about the food of the Sologne and its traditions, notably Sologne gourmande, published by Albin Michel. She and her husband are delightful, thought-provoking and intelligent company. And this is mirrored in Clment's cooking. He uses seasonal produce, particularly little-known herbs in the summer, and 'forgotten' vegetables in the winter. They spend much time sourcing produce. Didier Clment's desserts, and they are his, not those of a chef ptissier, are equally seasonal and immensely inventive. At the same time, as with the rest of his cooking, they retain an innate harmony and simplicity (Frances Bissel). A wonderful hotel which makes a serious commitment to the pleasure of the traveller. Super. So write visitors in 1997 to this handsome old city castle hotel particulier built in the 16 century which belongs to the Relais et Chteaux. Smart and Stylish, in a market town in the wide Sologne forest, south of Orlans, amid Alain-Fournier country, among the most beautiful Loire Valley castles (Chambord, Cheverny, Chenonceaux). It is owned and run by Colette and Alain BARRAT and their daughter, Marie-Christine, whose brilliant husband, Didier CLEMENT, wins two Michelin Star...

 Guest rooms have air conditioning
 Baby chairs and cots are provided
 Luggage storage
 Breakfast may be served in the room
 Central situation
 Playground for children
 Credit cards accepted
 Dinner may be served in the room
 Disabled guests are welcome
 Fitness hall
 Hairdryer
 Access to internet
 Licensed bar
 Fully stocked mini bar
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Pets are accepted
 Parking lot
 Private park, garden, courtyard
 Clock/radio
 Fridge
 Restaurant
 Safe deposit box
 Shop on premises
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Phone at reception
 Phones in rooms
 TV sets in rooms
 Patio, summer terrace