Wandering around Montresor, Central Loire Valley. 5 minutes of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France

We visited Montresor in September 2022, it rained for most of the visit but this did not detract from what a lovely village this is. Montresor is classified as "Les Beaux Village de France" one of the most beautiful villages of France and deservedly so, it is a delight with much to see and admire.

Montresor is a village found 20 kilometres east of Loches in the Centre region of France where it is listed as one of the 'most beautiful villages of France'. The village sits quietly on the banks of the Indrois River, with its fine chateau as a romantic backdrop to the village.

On a slightly improbable note, the village is supposed to have got its name from King Gontran, the grandson of Clovis, who dreamed of treasure while he slept beside the river, and awoke to be told by a servant of a lizard he had seen glowing with gold. A quick search of the area, and the treasure soon revealed itself. The combination of the beautiful village, the position on the Indrois river, and the castle in the heart of Montresor make it a charming destination

The village retains its 11th century fortress, built on top of a rocky outcrop above the village and with walls, towers and gate intact. Built originally for defensive purposes, the chateau at Montresor was subsequently transformed into a Renaissance Mansion in the 15th century, within the original fortified walls. A wealthy Polish imigrant bought the castle in the 19th century, and much of the interior furnishing of the castle dates from this period, including paintings that show events from Polish history. The castle is surrounded by attractive parkland gardens that contain various statues, again in part showing characters from Polish history. The castle is quite small but is interesting to visit because of the lovely furnishings and the chance to stroll around the pleasant gardens. Entrance to the Chateau de Montresor is about 8 euros. Close by the Collegiale Church of Saint John the Baptist dates from the 16th century and has a renaissance facade, although the rest of the church is in gothic style. Inside the church you can see marble effigies representing the family of an important local lord.

Montresor village is clustered around the base of the castle, and has some very pretty little houses spread along the Indrois River, and some equally attractive half-timbered houses. There is an unusual medieval covered market, with a rear wall in stone and a double row of wooden pillars, as well as a part of the original defensive walls.

It is truly one of those 'step back in time' villages that are found so infrequently.

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