Centre
CENTRE HOMES FOR SALE | Buy Centre villas, houses, gites and apartments
Search the Buy-in-France property directory to find your ideal home to purchase in the Centre region of France. Whether you are looking to buy a villa, house or cottage, we hope you find the ideal Centre property to buy in this beautiful region of France. Centre is a region of France located towards the northwest of the actual centre of France. The region is composed of six departments: Eure-et-Loire is its most northern department; Loiret is in the northeast corner of the region; Cher is positioned in the region’s southeast corner; Indre is in the south; Indre-et-Loire is in the southwest and Loir-et-Cher is in the northwest, between Loiret and Indre-et-Loire. The region’s capital is Orléans, which is about 75 miles south of Paris - although its largest city is Tours. The main tourist feature of Centre is the majestic Loire Valley – a must see during your stay in the Centre region. The famous châteaux of the Loire Valley attract many tourists to the region and Centre is bisected by the east-west flowing Loire River.
It has been proposed to rename the region Val de Loire ("Valley of the Loire"), which would give more character and a truer reflection to the region. The name change has not yet been adopted, but the term is sometimes juxtaposed with the region's name, as in Centre - Val de Loire.
The region’s highest point is the 1653 foot Mount Saint-Marien which is located in the Cher department.
The cultural heart of the Centre Region is the Châteaux de la Loire, which it shares with the adjacent region, to the west, the Pays de la Loire [Western Loire] and is a must-see while Visting Centre, France. This vast and rich cultural area is known for its imposing cathedrals, such as at Chartres, and its many Renaissance châteaux that were built by ambitious kings and queens in remarkable locations along the Erdre, Eure, Layon, Loire, Saribe, Sèvre and Sologne river valleys. Some of the more impressive castles, that they built, are Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Blois, Chambord, Chenonceaux, Cheverny and Villandry.
The Centre region is known for its Cabernet, Pinot and Sauvignon wine grapes, and is a leading producer of barley, corn and wheat. It also produces rapeseed, sugar beets and sunflowers.
HOUSES TO BUY IN CENTRE | Places to visit when staying in Centre, France
Tours - the capital of the Indre-et-Loire Departement. Tours is the largest city in the Centre region of France, however, the second largest city of Orleans is the regional capital. Tours is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orleans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is best known for its wine production.
Orleans - It is the capital of the Loiret department and of the Centre region. It lies about 130 km southwest of Paris, on the banks of the Loire River where the river curves south towards the Massif Central.
Blois - The capital of Loir-et-Cher Departement in central France, situated on the northern banks of the lower river Loire between Orleans and Tours. Located in the centre of the city is the famous Renaissance castle - Château de Blois.
Loches - a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department. It is situated 29 miles southeast of Tours, on the western bank of the Indre River. Considered one of the most picturesque towns in the centre of France.
Bourges - The capital of the Departement of Cher. Bourges Gothic cathedral is a World Heritage Sight.
La Brenne - A large Nature park located in the Indre Departement of France. La Brenne was a region in the old French provinces of Berry and Touraine, west of Chateauroux and east of Tournon-Saint-Martin. The Creuse River splits the park into two separate areas. Known as the 'Area of 1000 lakes'.
Chartres Cathedral - Roman Catholic cathedral located in Chartres. One of the most famous gothic cathedrals in France.
Abbey at St-Benoit-sur-Loire - Famous monastery located in the Loiret Departement in north-central France.
Beaugency - A city in in Loiret department, well known for the Battle of Beaugency.
Chateau de Lavardin - A ruined castle in the village of Lavardin in the Loir-et-Cher built at the beginning of the 11th Century.
Les Chateaux de la Loire - The most famous are Chateau de Blois, Chambord, Chateau de Cheverny, Chenonceaux, Château d'Amboise, Villandry, Chinon and d'Azay le Rideau.
Zoo Parc de Beauval - A fantastic large Zoo in the Loire valley area.
CENTRE PROPERTY FOR SALE | Travelling to your Centre home, France
By train: (TGV) from Paris Gare Montparnasse or Gare d'Austerlitz.. By road: The Centre region is crossed by the main motorways between Paris and western / south-western France, the A10 (Paris-Tours-Bordeaux), the A11 (Paris-Chartres-Rennes), the A71( [Paris] - Orleans -Clermont-Ferrand) and the A20 ( [Paris] -Vierzon-Toulouse). By air: via Paris Orly airport, or Tours.