When you arrive in Loire Valley, it’s easy to see why the “Garden of France” was made a UNESCO world heritage site. The landscape is full of vineyards, massive sunflower fields and rolling green hills. No wonder the French monarchy and aristocrats built hundreds of their châteaux here.

In the Loire Valley it’s possible to live like a king without a royal sized bank account.

Now, a couple of centuries on, one of these has been conquered by us plebeians at Maps Explorer. And what’s more, there was no revolution or guillotine involved. In fact, rather than a battle, the reason for our visit is a celebration of amour: a good French wedding.

Château Laloin may not be the biggest or the finest, but its riverside gardens are perfect for chilling out in. The terraces in the pretty village of Suèvres, only a few hundred metres away, tempt you with fluffy croissants and café au lait. On top of all this, you can live like royalty for a mere 59 euro’s a night.

Lounging around in country house in the middle of nowhere, with nothing much to do, may not seem like an obvious way to spend your holiday. But that’s how aristocrats lived for hundreds of years, and in a couple of days we guarantee you’ll understand why.