Editing Tourism in France (section)

=== Loire Valley ===
{{Main|Châteaux of the Loire Valley}}
[[File:Chenonceau Castle02.jpg|thumb|left|[[Château de Chenonceau]], Loire Valley]]
Another major destination are the ''[[Château]]x'' (castles) of the Loire Valley. The [[French Revolution]] saw a number of the great French châteaux destroyed and many ransacked, their treasures stolen. The overnight impoverishment of many of the deposed [[nobility]], usually after one of its members lost his or her head to the [[guillotine]], saw many châteaux demolished.

During [[World War I]] and [[World War II]], some chateaux were commandeered as military headquarters. Some of these continued to be used this way after the end of the Second World War.

This [[World Heritage Site]] is noteworthy for the quality of its architectural heritage, in its historic towns such as [[Amboise]], [[Angers]], [[Blois]], [[Chinon]], [[Orléans]], and [[Saumur]], but in particular for its castles, such as the Châteaux d'[[Château d'Amboise|Amboise]], de [[Château de Chambord|Chambord]], d'[[Château d'Ussé|Ussé]], de [[Château de Villandry|Villandry]], de [[Château de Chenonceau|Chenonceau]] and de [[Château de Montsoreau|Montsoreau]], which illustrate to an exceptional degree the ideals of the [[French Renaissance]].