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Press Release April 2008 - London

RIVERLOIRE

The Loire Valley opens its secret doors


How is it possible to combine the all too well known “must see sights”of the Loire Valley, its Renaissance castles and its gorgeous gardens, with a clever tourism that is off of the beaten tracks ? That is the challenge that RiverLoire seeks for its clients.

“Our guests do not want to spend their weekend in the Loire Valley observing the obvious tourists attractions” says Karine. “they want to discover the gems of the region in a totally unique way, such as being received by the owner of a private castle or tasting a fine wine with the wine maker, in the middle of his vineyard.”

Karine and Thierry Micalet, the founders of RiverLoire, have fully understood this gap in tourism today, and offer escapes really ‘off the beaten track’.

Here are some of their latest findings :

• Discover the wonder of the Loire River, the last wild river in Europe, by spending a night on an deserted island. Relax with a savory French style campfire dinner, and taste some of the region’s finest wines. A unique way to escape the stress of city life

• A wine maker opens his vineyard for you. A chance of a lifetime to participate in the entire process of making wine; from plucking the grapes off the vine to the pressing of the grapes.

• Spend a weekend enjoying the French cuisine in unusual and exceptional places.

• Hunt for the hidden places with the best antiquities, guided by the owner of a castle, who is also a true antiques lover.

Thanks to their inside knowledge Karine and Thierry have set up the most valuable way to discover the Loire Valley in a way inaccessible to many other visitors, always in the best possible comfort. A fresh way to spend a weekend at the door of the United Kingdom and come back fully re-energized.


Press Contact : RiverLoire - Karine and Thierry Micalet - www.riverloire.com

If you require high definition photos for print, please contact us


More about River Loire :

River Loire is a French Tour Operator and inbound travel agency, specialized purely in the Loire Valley.
They specialize in up market holidays for clients who want a tailor made trip, with an authentic and environmentally friendly approach.

Their objective is to allow their customers to discover the Loire in a way inaccessible to many other visitors.

Press Release February 2008 - London

RIVERLOIRE

An exclusive Loire Valley travel experience



With all the idyllic regions of France to choose from, the French kings decided to build their royal castles in the Touraine. And for those who want to know why, a young French couple have found a special way of sharing the secret.

Karine Micalet was born and grew up in the Touraine. For her husband Thierry, it was love at first sight, when the magic of the region brought them together in the same way it once captured the hearts of royalty.

That is why they have launched RiverLoire, a travel venture without precedent, to provide discerning visitors with a “king’s-eye” view of this internationally-recognized jewel in the crown of French tourism which was recently declared an official world heritage site by UNESCO.

The hundred-kilometer stretch of France’s longest river, after its abrupt left turn at Orleans to head West to the sea at Nantes, is known as the Loire Valley, or, with greater majesty, as the Valley of the Kings. Karine and Thierry have decided, therefore, to provide a royal welcome worthy of any monarch.

“Many of today’s travelers merely scratch the surface of this wonderful region and fail to discover what’s hidden beneath”, says Karine. Then, with all the superlatives that only home-grown pride can muster, she talks about the Loire Valley castles the public often see and the many they don’t.

Equally enthusiastic, husband Thierry describes architectural masterpieces from the XVth and XVIth centuries – would you believe even the Xth century – which remain a mystery if you don’t know where to look; or simply closed, if you don’t know where the keys are hidden. As further bonus, there are the restaurants which remain the best-kept secrets of the locals for reasons not difficult to understand when you discover genuine French cooking at its best that they want to keep for themselves.

After four years living in Britain, Karine and Thierry are ideally placed to know what U.K. travelers are looking for, and since their return to France, and their beloved Loire Valley, have taken the time to put together a travel experience to meet the most demanding wish-list, based on tradition, authenticity and quality.

Nor is language a barrier to accessing a world the regular tourist rarely discovers, since Karine and Thierry ensure that the indepth knowledge of their region is transformed into a complete understanding of all it has to offer with the aid of bilingual guides when necessary.

Their aim, nonetheless, is that the exclusive travel experience offered by RiverLoire will speak for itself.

A sample stay:

• A four-day weekend discovery of the Loire Valley based on traditional hospitality and exclusivity; with private visits to castles and local wineries; a cruise along the river Cher aboard an authentic copy of an old-style sailing boat; and an exhilarating helicopter ride for a bird’s eye view of both legendary and lesser-known attractions which have made the Touraine famous throughout history.

Other possibilities:

• Weekend discovery of the Loire by bicycle

• Weekend for camera buffs with a professional photographer as guide

• Specially designed weekend planned as the ultimate family outing

• The true nature of the Loire Valley through discovery of its wild life

• Gourmet weekend devoted to fine food and wines

• Weekend of total escape and relaxation

• The Impossible Romantic Weekend for those in love

Karine and Thierry have painstakingly selected where best to go and how best to get the most out of the experience by choosing the most original itineraries, ones often reserved exclusively to RiverLoire, and designed to satisfy the most demanding of their VIP clients.



Press Contact : RiverLoire - Karine and Thierry Micalet - www.riverloire.com

If you require high definition photos for print, please contact us