The Loire is the longest river in France ' flowing an impressive 1,010 km (630 miles) from its source in the Vivarais mountains south of Saint-Etienne to its estuary west of Nantes ' but the region of the most interesting chateaux, from Chambord to Angers, covers barely a fifth of that distance.
The Loire is one of the shorter rivers of France, and it flows from Nantes to the western sea.