Loire, France
Self-catering Loire holiday chalets - Apartments Loire
The department of the Loire is located in the east-central part of France and is found in the Rhône-Alpes region. The name of the department comes from the eponymous river which passes through it.
The capital of the Loire is Saint-Etienne which is located in the Massif Central and a must see when you rent a holiday chalet in the Loire, France. Saint-Etienne and its surroundings have both lakes and beaches and wooded mountains on offer. Montbrison and Roanne are the other main towns of the area. Roanne is known for gastronomy, textiles and agriculture. Montbrison gives its name to the popular blue cheese Fourme de Montbrison which has been made in the region for centuries.
When you stay in a self catering Loire holiday rental home you’ll find located in the south-east of the department, the Pilat area – which is guaranteed to seduce nature lovers: with 65,000 hectares of forests, pastures, plains, orchards and vineyards. The central part of the department is the former French province of Forez; and is composed of many forests and plateaus. From the Forez highlands at the foothills of the Massif Central to the Roannais hillsides on the outskirts of Burgundy, the Loire department boasts many assets. The department is a land of tradition which has preserved the historical heritage of its rich industrial past.
The department capital Saint-Etienne is named after Saint Stephen, and is mentioned for the first time in the Middle Ages as Saint-Étienne de Furan. The city also launched the Massenet Festivals, (the composer Jules Massenet hailed from the area) devoted mainly to perform Massenet's operas.
St. Étienne was the capital of the French bicycle industry. The bicycle wheel manufacturer Mavic is based in the city and frame manufacturers Motobécane and Vitus are also based here. The city often hosts a stage of the Tour de France.
Saint-Étienne has three museums to tempt you when you renting a holiday rental chalet or apartment in the Loire: the Musée d'Art Moderne with one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in France; the Musée de la Mine and the Musée des Ponts et Chaussées.
Travelling to your self-catering holiday rental accommodation in Loire, France
By road: The department is conveniently located to reach South, Central and North France. A72: to the north: Clermont-Ferrand, Bordeaux, Paris. A47 : to the east: Lyon, Paris, Marseille, Italy. RN88: to the west: Toulouse. By rail: The main railway station is Gare de Saint-Étienne-Châteaucreux, which offers high speed service to Lyon and Paris, and several regional lines. Saint-Etienne is linked by TGV (fast trains) to Paris (2 hours). Saint-Etienne has three other train stations: Carnot (in the heart of the city, 5 min from hotel de ville), La Terrasse (This station is close to Stade Geoffroy Guichard) and Bellevue. By air: The nearest international airport offering direct services to UK is Lyon - St-Exupéry. Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, London’s Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted airports all offer direct flights with Air France, Easyjet or BMI.