Loches makes a brilliant base for exploring the southern Loire. Chenonceau -- the chateau that arches across the river Cher -- is just 30 km north, half an hour by road. Amboise, with its royal chateau on a cliff above the Loire and Leonardo da Vinci's Clos Lucé, is 40 km north. Azay-le-Rideau and Chinon are both within 50 km west.
Closer to home, the village of Beaulieu-lès-Loches, just across the river, has the ruins of a substantial 11th-century abbey founded by Foulques Nerra. The forêt de Loches, immediately south of the town, is one of the largest forests of the Touraine, with marked walking and cycling trails.