Seeped in history, the Loire Valley is a region of France that stimulates the imagination. The French nobility built large magnificent chateaux throughout the entire area at first to escape the intrigues of royal life in Paris and then just for pure relaxation. With the mist descending into the valley, one can feel the cold bleakness of winter giving the illusion of a mysterious, dark fairy tale. The fairy tale comes to life with the advent of spring. The valley glows with a vibrancy of color.