Enjoy virtual tours of Loire Valley chateaux at Google's Cultural Institute!

Paris: For those who love to travel and thrive on wanderlust, this will come as good news!

Loire Valley is one destination that many people desire to see. However, not everyone, it seems, is fortunate enough to witness the historical place in person.

Well, it's Google to the rescue! France’s historical Loire Valley châteaux has gained access to Google's Cultural Institute, thereby allowing curious web users to indulge in a virtual visit to discover its rich cultural heritage.

The Internet giant's Street View image capture technology will help people take virtual tours of Chenonceau, Chambord, Azay-le-Rideau and 15 other national treasures that follow the Loire stretch, including those spaces that are normally off-limits to the public.

As per The Malay Mail Online, a total of 18 partners from the Loire region have joined forces for the project: the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud (Maine-et-Loire), the Cité Royale de Loches (Indre-et-Loire), the Domaine National de Chambord (Loir-et-Cher), the Forteresse Royale de Chinon (Indre-et-Loire), the Château d’Angers (Maine-et-Loire), the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau (Indre-et-Loire), the Château de Bouges (Indre), the Château de Châteaudun (Eure-et-Loir), the Château de Chenonceau, the Château du Clos Lucé, the Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre (Loire-et-Cher), the Château de Meung-sur-Loire (Loiret), the Château de Montpoupon (Indre-et-Loire), the Château du Moulin (Loir-et-Cher), the Château du Rivau (Indre-et-Loire), the Château de Sully-sur-Loire (Loiret), the Château de Talcy (Loir-et-Cher) and the Château de Villandry (Indre-et-Loire).

For this, Google has also come up with its latest technology called Art Camera, which will zero in on minute details of the artwork that are invisible to the naked eye, such as the Oriental ceiling of the Villandry chateau, the Apocalypse Tapestry of Angers and the frescoes of Fontevraud Abbey.

Art Camera has the potential to overtake Google's Gigapixel in terms of quality, since it will provide greater resolution in comparison.

Google has similar agreements with more than 1,000 museums and cultural institutions in more than 60 countries around the world.

(With agency inputs)