Castles of the Loire Valley
Written: Jan 08 '04 (Updated Jan 08 '04)
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Pros: Beautiful scenery, history, and castles all within a ~30 miles radius of Tours.
Cons: A rental car or bus tour is most likely needed to visit this area.
The Bottom Line: Highly Recommend: beautiful castles, landscape, history, and culture!
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| buggybug's Full Review: Loire Valley |
The castles of the Loire Valley are a true example of the French Renaissance. Francois Ier (King) was quite addicted to splendor and advancing the achievements of France and was a strong influence on the "movement" commissioning both Blois and Chambord.
Unlike the Cathar castles in the South, these castles weren't truly built as fortresses. In some cases they built to be "hunting" lodges, or summer residencies for the nobility of Paris. Many have astounding gardens, architecture, and interior works or art/furniture. Below I will list a few of my favorites:
Amboise
The reason I really enjoy this castle is due to the fact that Leonardo da Vinci lived the last 4 years of his life at Clos-Luce (located on the Ambroise property) which contains an amazing collection of his models, inventions, and drawings. He had been invited/commissioned by Francois 1er. If you have time, you will be amazed at the brilliance of Leonardo outside of painting. Did he have a time travel machine? The castle itself is not as noteworthy as Clos-Luce.
Blois
This castle is the most important of the Loire castles and contains a variety of royal suites. In Blois, splendor reigned, and only the best would do. Notable areas include a sculpture of Louis XI on horseback, gorgeous gardens, Renaissance staircase, and secrets galore. Conspiracies and intrigues abounded here including the murder of the Duke de Guise, and an assassination attempt on Maria of Medici (by her son, Louis XIII)! The facade is remarkable and inside they are rooms containing secret compartments and "some" furniture.
Chambourd
This if Francois 1er's dream come true. Built in the 15th century it is a symbol of extravagance. It was used mainly as a hunting lodge and as such has a room completely full of antlers! Can you believe that this was designed for simple stays in the country? It has 360 rooms and 365 chimneys! I guess castles can be quite cold and drafty. There is a double spiral staircase and many of the rooms have been well preserved. In summer, they often have sound and light shows. I have never been able to attend, but it looks great from the photos.
Chaumont
We were lucky enough to visit this castle during a period they had a garden contest. Garden designers from all over the world were given a small area to design and there were over 50 gardens to look at! I'm not sure if this is an annual event, but it was GREAT. You have a beautiful view of the river from this castle. Catherine de Medici took Chenonceau from Diane of Poitiers and offered her Chaumont in compensation. Trading castles anyone? Madame de Stael also lived here after being exiled from Paris. The stables are also impressive.
Chenonceau
You must visit this castle if you come to the Loire valley! It is beautiful in design, the castle and gardens. They also generally use the great gallery that spans the river Cher as an art gallery whose exhibits change. Although the castle began in humble beginnings, once being owned by a tax officer, the King (Francois 1er) found Chenonceau to be in a beautiful setting and would take over ownership. On the death of Francois 1er, Henry II gave Chenonceau to Diane of Poitiers, along with some crown jewels. Henry would do anything for Diane, and built the bridge over the Cher, created Italian gardens, and spent over a third of his days in the castle with his mistress. However, when the King died, Catherine de Medici (The Queen), who rightly detested Diane, took back the crown jewels and confiscated Chenonceau giving Diane Chaumont. There are beautifully preserved rooms in this castle and the gardens are worth a stroll too. There is also a wax museum onsite for an extra charge which was interesting for the story than the wax figures.
Villandry
I mention this castle mainly due to its noteworthy gardens. If you are not into beautifully sculpted gardens I would not come here since that is the main draw. The vegetable garden is divided into 9 squares with each square being meticulously designed. From above these squares appear to be mazes. The pleasure garden contains the shapes of hearts, daggers, and butterfly wings sculpted into plant and bushes. There are also beautiful waterways and terraces, and sometimes you may glimpse white swans.
How to Get There?
By Car: In Paris you definitely don't need a car, but you may want to rent one for a trip to the Loire. We started in Paris, and then picked up our car at the airport to avoid ANY driving in that crazy town. The autoroute A10 heads South directly towards Tours and Loire region (~80 miles). Rent the car in advance, it is much cheaper to do from the US, automatics cost A LOT more to rent, you just need your state driver's license unless you will be in France long-term (over 3 months I believe).
By Train: SNCF (Train service) via TGV (fast train) leaving from Gare Montparnesse (to Tours and Angers). There are also other trains it depends on what castles you are interested in. They also have baggage service for pickup from your hotel and transportation to your next hotel for a small fee. The trains are fast and on-time, but unless there is a car, person, bus, or hotel waiting for you in the next city it may be difficult to visit the somewhat remote castles.
By Bus Tour: My first visit to the Loire Valley was via a bus tour way back in high school. I don't have experience with the companies that run tours (often from Paris) but that might be a great way to get some history on your way there, and a view of castles with minimum hassle on your part for navigating---Recommended for those that don't speak French or may be worried about getting lost.
If you can, I still recommend a car since you are able to set your own pace, and visit any small town (or patisserie) that catches your eye.
Also, staying at a French castle may not be as expensive as you think with rooms starting around 100 Euro, (~$100) which in France always includes at least a continental breakfast. If you are interested visit the following Website: "http://www.relaischateaux.com"
All I can say is enjoy, pretend, and imagine!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
buggybug
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Location: San Jose, CA
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
-- Goethe
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