Loire Valley
Chambord, Chenonceau: the château trail, two hours from Paris.
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Chambord, the largest of the Loire châteaux
Built from 1519 on the orders of François I, the Château de Chambord has 426 rooms, 282 fireplaces and 83 staircases on a 5,440-hectare estate surrounded by the largest enclosed forest park in Europe. Its architecture, blending French medieval tradition with Italian Renaissance influences, makes it one of the most iconic buildings in the Loire Valley.
The double-helix staircase, traditionally attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, allows two people to go up and down at the same time without ever meeting, an ingenious design visible as soon as you enter the central keep.
The tour of the interior, which includes the royal apartments and a rich collection of furniture, is best complemented by a walk in the park, where observation points sometimes offer a glimpse of the game that still roams the estate.
The keep's terrace, reached by one of the great staircases, offers a remarkable overview of the château's carved rooftops and chimneys, a viewpoint not to be missed at the end of your visit.
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Chenonceau, the Ladies' Château
Built partly over the River Cher, Chenonceau owes its nickname, the “Ladies' Château”, to the many women who shaped its history, from Catherine Briçonnet, who oversaw its construction in the sixteenth century, to Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de' Medici, who vied for its use.
The two-storey gallery spanning the river, added by Catherine de' Medici, is the most photographed feature of the estate, especially at sunrise and sunset when the light reflects off the waters of the Cher.
The formal gardens of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de' Medici, laid out on either side of the château, offer different perspectives on the building and deserve a full visit of one to two hours, depending on your interest in horticulture.
The Grande Galerie, which crosses the river on two levels, once hosted lavish balls and receptions; its black-and-white chequerboard floor is one of its most striking features.
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A stop at a wine estate
The Loire Valley is home to several renowned appellations, from Vouvray and Montlouis-sur-Loire to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé further upstream. A stop at a family estate, with a cellar tour and tasting, is a natural complement to a day devoted to the châteaux.
The troglodyte cellars, carved straight into the tuffeau limestone used to build most of the region's châteaux, offer ideal conditions for ageing traditional-method sparkling wines, which are widespread in the Saumur appellation.
For visitors who want to taste without having to drive back, a chauffeur available all day lets you enjoy this stop to the full without compromising the rest of the tour.
Some estates offer a guided tour of the vineyard as well as the cellar, to understand how the vines are worked before the tasting, an option to mention when making your appointment.
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Amboise and Azay-le-Rideau on a two-day tour
On a two-day tour, Amboise deserves a stop of its own: the royal château overlooking the town, the Clos Lucé where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life at the invitation of François I, and the artist's presumed tomb in the château's Chapel of Saint-Hubert.
Azay-le-Rideau, smaller than Chambord or Chenonceau, charms with its reflection in the calm waters of the Indre and its remarkably consistent Renaissance architecture, as the château was built in a single phase in the early sixteenth century.
On a two-day tour with an overnight stay in a château hotel or a characterful guesthouse, your chauffeur remains available throughout, so you can enjoy the region to the full with no fixed return time on the first evening.
This service is booked for a minimum of 5 hours per day, at an hourly rate set by the vehicle you choose, for a tailor-made tour with no surprises on the final price.
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