text: 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 .
  
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  The Loire is a short river and probably the smallest in France .