The Loire Valley, which is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France, offers a number of green city breaks.
Four of the region's major urban areas have won national recognition and awards for their eco investments.
Nantes
Nantes, a city on the Loire River in the Upper Brittany region of western France, has a long history as a port and industrial centre.
It's home to the restored, medieval Château des Ducs de Bretagne, where the Dukes of Brittany once lived.
The castle is now a local history museum with multimedia exhibits, as well as a walkway atop its fortified ramparts.
The region's capital Nantes, which is a winner of the European Green Capital Award, has over 1,000 hectares of wild areas including the Jardin des Plantes, the Jardin Extraordinaire and the Île de Versailles.
Angers
Angers is a city in western France beside the Maine river at the edge of the Loire Valley.
The medieval seat of the Plantagenet dynasty, it has an old town with half-timbered houses such as ornate Maison d'Adam (now the Maison des Artisans).
The Cathédrale St-Maurice, in central Place Sainte-Croix, features twin 75m spires and elaborate stained-glass rose windows.
The city's newer areas offer a thriving cafe culture.
Angers was named France's greenest city in 2020 and its €178m 'Smart City' project aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2034.
Terra Botanica, the world's first plant-dedicated theme park, is just outside town.
www.tourisme.destination-angers.com/en
Cholet
Cholet has been awarded the 'Ville Fleurie - 4 fleurs' label since 2005 and won the 'Fleur d'Or' prize in 2019.
Le Mans
Le Mans is known for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum, which chronicles the history of the city's 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race.
In the old town, the Gothic-style Le Mans Cathedral features stained-glass windows and flying buttresses.
Close to Le Mans, the Arche de la Nature is a 500-hectare nature reserve, with six eco-lodges which opened at the end of 2021.
These innovative low-energy lodges have green roofs, pellet heating and phyto-purification systems.