Pays de la Loire Hotels France

Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire is one of the 26 regions of France, situated in the west. It has a long coast on the Bay of Biscay to the west and shares borders with Bretagne (Brittany) to the north and west, lower Normandy to the north, Centre to the east and Poitou- Charentes to the south. Pays de la Loire is divided from east to west by the Loire River, and the Loire Valley is at the heart of the region’s economy. In fact, due to the depth of its heritage UNESCO designated this as a World Heritage for Humanity site as a “cultural landscape of exceptional beauty” The Pays de la Loire has some diverse environments: firstly it has 300 km of Atlantic coastline with long sandy beaches, bays and islands such as Yeu and Noirmoutier. This contrasts with the lush green countryside around the Loire.

Pays de la Loire includes the departments of Loire Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Vendee and Sarthe, and the capital is Nantes (strangely this used to be the capital of Bretagne – Brittany). In the past a favourite place for the nobility the area has many restored chateau and stately homes, and charming cities to explore like Angers, Saumur and Nantes. At Le Mans is the annual famous car race the “24 heures” which attracts many international visitors.