The Loire Chateaux

Chambord, Blois, Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau chateaux…  are but a few of the many Loire châteaux, all so diverse and with such a great variety of architecture  that you can fully immerse yourself in the history of France .There is also the art of the French garden, as well as hundreds of hectares of natural parks, giving this region the acclaimed World Heritage status by Unesco

The Château de Chambord, the largest of the Loire castles, is the perfect example of this diversity: each successive king made changes. More of a monument designed to reflect the glory of humanism than a dwelling, the Château de Chambord is today one of the most perfect and remarkable examples of French architecture.

The Chateau d’Amboise, on the other hand , is a residence appreciated by the kings of France in the Middle Ages, reflected by its rich library which predates the National Library of France (BnF) although its furniture is nothing compared to that of the Château de Cheverny, the most beautifully furnished of the Loire castles.

As for the Château de Chenonceau, it may be because it has been almost entirely constructed, fitted out, renovated and saved by women since the 16th century (Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Médicis, Louise de Lorraine, Madame Pelouze …) that it is today the most visited private historic monument in France. Everything breathes charm and peace, balance, and refinement, whether it is its interiors, its gardens or the overall harmony of the estate.

The diversity of the Loire Chateaux is all the more important as their construction is spread over many years. Around the pretty town of Chinon there are the medieval castles like the royal fortress of Chinon or the château du Rivau, the residence to the Great Chamberlain of Charles VII. Also not  to be missed in Indre et Loire: the Château d'Ussé (Sleeping Beauty Castle), the Château de Villandry and its remarkable gardens, the Château de Langeais or the Royal City of Loches in the south-east of the department.

All unique, the Loire castles do at least have one thing in common, their location. This beautiful valley, rich and luxuriant in  vegetation, which surrounds the longest river in France: the Loire Valley, a natural beauty in its own right, land of gastronomy and wines, cradled between cities with incomparable heritage such as Angers, Tours, Orleans and Blois.