The Loire Valley in France is known for two things: Beautiful chateaux (palaces) and wine. I’ve talked quite a bit about wine in previous posts so today I will be focusing on some of the magnificent palaces of the region – it really lives up to its name “The Valley of 1,000 Chateaux”
You obviously can’t visit all of the many chateaux in a single day trip, so I will highlight a few my husband and I visited on a day tour from Paris. We were able to visit three chateaux in depth -- I wouldn’t recommend more than that in a single day. That would be like a royal rushing through luxury and who would want to do that?
Before the palaces were converted into the 16th century luxury phase that we all know and love, they started as Medieval castles out of necessity. This area in France was important during the Hundred Years’ War (14th and 15th centuries England vs. France) because the fortresses provided protection to the people of the land. However, they were later replaced by the 16th century pleasure palaces for the royals and ultra-wealthy. During the French Revolution, many were trashed and some even burned to the ground but thankfully many survived, so we can experience the history and relive when this region thrived with royalty and extreme wealth.
Our drive out of Paris into the region was a quick two-hour drive. We started in Amboise, a quaint historic town that was once the second capital of France. We briefly walked by the Chateau Amboise, which was once the favored residence of several kings. I can see why the royals chose this area – it is far enough from Paris to make it a retreat but close enough to get back quickly if they were needed in Paris. The weather was also milder than Paris and the surrounding areas, which was nice.
The drives between each chateau was scenic and lovely. Hoping to spot some of the wild game that still lives in the lush forest made the time fly too. I didn’t see any game but made friends with this little guy along the way.
Our next stop was at the Chateau Chambord – the “Grandfather of them all”. This palace was enormous with 440 rooms and 365 fireplaces, making it the largest in the region. The most impressive feature to me, besides its sheer size, was the beautiful double spiral staircase, which was designed by Leonardo da Vinci (who also worked on Versailles for The Sun King). The complex was surrounded by a game preserve which made sense since it started as a hunting lodge and then apparently took on a life of its own. Louis XIV spent a fortune renovating this hunting weekend retreat but only visited it six times. How crazy is that?!?
We left the large and very cold Chambord (they had all those fireplaces for a reason) and made our way to the very different Chenonceau. This chateau had a Renaissance feel and distinct feminine touches were present throughout the palace. You could tell it was designed by two women (the mistress and then the wife after she kicked the former out – good story). The formal gardens were carefully planned and were absolutely breathtaking. Some of the fresh flowers from the gardens decorated several of the rooms inside, which made it feel even more like a “Ladies’ Chateau” as it is sometimes referred.
Our final stop was at Chateau Cheverny, which became my personal favorite. It is hard to imagine but this palace has been in the same family for six centuries and in fact, the current Marquis still lives there! The downstairs is rich with history and holds items from centuries past. The upstairs is the family quarters (part of which is not accessible to the public for obvious reasons…how would you like someone barging in to your home?) You could see turn-of-the-century children’s toys in some of the rooms and it actually seemed like, for a moment, you could hear the children still playing from years long ago.
The best part of this tour was visiting the famous hunting dogs of Cheverny. The large kennels in the back held 100 French hunting hounds which the Marquis still uses, to this day, to hunt wild game. Visitors were permitted to watch the dogs up close doing what they do best – sleeping, playing and eating. It was hard to imagine that these playful creatures wrestling with one another were actual full-on working hunting dogs several times a week!
All in all, it was a packed day visiting three of the amazing chateaux of the Loire Valley. But just when you think you’re done, you realize there are still 997 more to go. So I guess I’ll just have to go back one day and cross some more off the list. And if chateaux aren’t your thing, there are also amazing wineries to tour in the area as well. Either way, there is something for everyone that will keep you occupied for days on end. So, the next time you find yourself in Paris, don’t be afraid to branch out to include the Loire Valley in your amazing trip. I promise you won’t regret it!
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