Centre-Val de Loire

Centre is one of the 27 regions of France, around the Loire Valley, northwest of the geographical centre of the country. The capital is Orléans but the largest city is Tours.

History
The name Centre was selected by the central government purely on the basis of geography, as the region is composed of too many historical provinces to use a single historical name. However, Centre is not in the geographical centre of France, and the name has been criticized as being overly dull and nondescript. Proposed names for the region include Val de Loire after the Loire Valley (the main feature of the region) or "Cœur de Loire" (i.e. "Heart of Loire"), which would give more character to the name of the region. Val de Loire is associated with positive images of the Loire Valley, such as the chateaux, the gentle and refined lifestyle, wine, the mild and temperate climate all of which attract many tourists to the region. The proposal has not yet been adopted, but the term is sometimes juxtaposed as Centre - Val de Loire. The region includes the rich, fertile valleys of the Loire River and its tributaries: Cher, Indre, Loiret.

Major Cities

 * Blois
 * Bourges
 * Chartres
 * Châteauroux
 * Dreux
 * Fleury-les-Aubrais
 * Joué-lès-Tours
 * Orléans
 * Tours
 * Vierzon