Châteaux of the Loire Valley

Action under way since 2006, with a multiannual action plan 2007-2013.  

Context

The Mission Val de Loire has been uniting the main Loire Valley sites together in a network since January 2006, at the request of the Centre region prefect, who is coordinating the Plan Loire Grandeur Nature , and with the support of the Centre and Pays de la Loire regional councils. 

Objectives

The partners undertake to participate and help in renewing and increasing tourist numbers in the Loire Valley with a view to bringing cultural and economic gain to the main cultural, tourist and heritage sites there, as well as to the Loire Valley as a whole. 

This is being carried out through a multiannual action plan involving chateaus and monuments, the partners of the Plan Loire Grandeur Nature (State, Regions), regional and county tourist institutions and the Mission Val de Loire. 

Results

2006: Shared and validated assessment by all sites. 

2007-2008: Development of a multiannual action plan (2007-2013), officially written down in the Charter of excellence of the main heritage sites in the Loire Valley . 

 The action plan has four key objectives: 

• promotion (Internet portal, priority markets, press relations, feasibility study of an inter-site pass),
• quality (quality reference standard, benchmarking observatory),
• accessibility – mediation (sense-based accessibility, cultural mediation and new technologies),
• running the network

Find out more

• 15th September 2006: Presentation of the assessment and recommendation of actions to site managers and tourist institution representatives 
• November 2006: Validation of a draft multiannual action plan (7 years) by the participants in the initiative, and suggestion to integrate this in the heritage promotion platform of the Plan Loire 2007 – 2013. 
• September 2007: Presentation of the action plan 2007/2008   
•  December 2007: Exploratory mission in China (International promotion section) 
• 30th January 2008: Signature of the Charter of excellence of the main sites making the multiannual action plan (2007-2013) official
• September 2009: the Cité royale in Loches joins the initiative of excellence.
• Fin 2009 : Opening of the website www.loire-chateaux.org , first in French, then in several languages
• February 2010 : Second press campaign (Regional press: Bordeaux, Marseille, Lille et Lyon) and start of Châteaux of the Loire Valley pass sales
• February 2010: Two study days on cultural mediation of heritage, devoted to ICTs and sensory accessibility
• June-July 2010: Study on visitors’ behaviour
• May and September 2011: Two receptions of the foreign press.
• November and December 2011: Three training sessions (Handicap, World Heritage site Val de Loire)

Partners

Partner monuments and chateaus:

Domaine national de Chambord
Château de Chenonceau
Château de Cheverny
Château de Blois
Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire
Château royal d’Amboise
Domaine du Clos Lucé à Amboise
Cité royale de Loches
Château and gardens of Villandry
Château d’Azay-le-Rideau
Château de Langeais
Château de Chinon
Fontevraud Royal Abbey
Château de Saumur
Château d’Angers
Cadre Noir de Saumur
Château de Sully-sur-Loire
Château de Valençay
Château des Ducs de Bretagne - Nantes 

The institutions

State (Plan Loire Grandeur Nature – Regional tourism offices)
Centre Region
Pays de la Loire Region
Mission Val de Loire
Centre Regional Tourist Board
Pays de la Loire regional SEM (semi-public company)
County Tourist Boards (Anjou, Touraine, Loir-et-Cher and Loiret) 

Overall managers

Promotion: Centre Tourist Board and Pays de la Loire regional SEM
Quality: Touraine Tourist Board and Mission Val de Loire
Mediation: Mission Val de Loire and Fontevraud Royal Abbey
Network: Mission Val de Loire 

Funding

This initiative of excellence is a multi-partner project receiving technical and financial assistance from various sites and public authorities (Regions, State, European Union), with a view to pooling resources (new resources and allocation of existing resources). 

Contact

Rémi Deleplancque, Education and Culture Officer for the Mission Val de Loire 

Download:

• Charte d’excellence des grands sites patrimoniaux du Val de Loire

On the web:

• Official site : www.loire-chateaux.org