Azay-le-Rideau
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Azay

Even without its Château (daily: July & Aug 9.30am–6.15pm; April–June, Sept & Oct 9.30am–5.15pm; Nov–March 10am–12.30pm & 2–4.45pm; €5.50), the quiet village of AZAY-LE-RIDEAU would bask in its serene setting, complete with an old mill by the bridge and curious, doll-like Carolingian statues embedded in the facade of the church of St Symphorien. On its little island in the Indre, the Château is one of the loveliest in the Loire: perfect turreted early Renaissance, pure in style right down to the blood-red paint of its window frames. Visiting the interior, furnished in mostly period style, doesn't add much to the experience, but the grand staircase is worth seeing, and it's fun to look out through the mullioned windows across the moat and park and imagine yourself the seigneur.

A few pleasant hotels are dotted on or around the main square: Le Balzac, 4 & 6 rue A.-Richer (tel 02.47.45.42.08, fax 02.47.45.29.87; €30–40), is inexpensive, while the Hôtel de Biencourt, 7 rue Balzac (tel 02.47.45.20.75, [email protected]; €30–55; closed mid-Nov to Feb) is attractive and unpretentious. But the best option by far, if you can afford it, is the welcoming Manoir de la Rémonière, 1km from Azay on the opposite side of the Indre, on the road to Saché (tel 02.47.45.24.88; €85–125); once the château's 15th-century hunting lodge, it now does bed and breakfast, with some wonderful rooms in the main building and a small pool in the grounds. Upstream from the Château is a large campsite, the Camping du Sabot (tel 02.47.45.42.72; closed Nov–March), signposted off the D84 to Saché.

Two excellent restaurants make it worth staying on, even if you don't plan an evening sortie into the château's grounds for the elaborate son-et-lumière (July daily at 10.30pm; Aug daily at 10pm; mid-May to June & Sept Sat & Sun at 9.30pm; €9 or €12 with château), which is one of the best in the region. In summer, L'Aigle d'Or, 10 ave Adélaïde Riché (tel 02.47.45.24.58; closed Wed & Sun evening) serves elegant cuisine in its delightful garden, with menus from €25–56. At Les Grottes, 23-ter rue Pineau (tel 02.47.45.21.04; menus from €16) you can eat good regional specialities in a troglodyte cave carved out of the rock.

A rotating gourmet night-time market comes to Azay every three weeks or so in summer (June–Sept 6pm–midnight) and involves lots of drinking and delicious snacks – details are available from Azay's tourist office, on place de l'Europe (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–7pm, Sun 10am–6pm; May, June & Sept Mon–Sat 9am–1pm & 2–6pm, Sun 10am–1pm & 2–5pm; Oct–April Mon–Sat 9am–1pm & 2–6pm; tel 02.47.45.44.40, [email protected]). You can rent bikes from Cycles Leprovost, 13 rue Carnot (tel 02.47.45.40.94), or from the Maison des Jeunes, Parc du Sabot (tel 02.47.45.30.12), which in summer also hires out canoes for short trips on the Indre.