Centre - France
Although Centre is the name used administratively, the region is commonly called Central Loire, Val de Loire, Loire Valley or simply, the Heart of France. France's longest river (at 1,020km/628 miles), the Loire, which flows from its source in the mountains south of Saint-Etienne to the Atlantic, defines the region's identity. It has always been very wealthy thanks to the fertility of the land.
Wall to wall chateaus and then more so, Centre has all the best. From the monumental splendour of Franccois I's Chambord to the dreamy Azay le Rideau it is a region of visual delights.