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The château has become somewhat synonymous with the Loire Valley, France and is only a two-hour drive from Paris. The castles of this area will plunge you into history with some of the most prolific names of the centuries. The Renaissance Period has a strong influence on each château in Loire Valley.
The fame of the valley is a legacy of the French kings who loved this area with each of these 5 best châteaux along the Loire River telling its own unique story.
The Loire Valley is two-hours southwest of Paris and is home to the country’s most impressive range of different château experiences. The Loire valley castles are a result of the Hundred Years’ War where the French retreated to this region after the English took control over Paris.
Once the war was over, these castles became more of palaces for pleasure and holidays. It has become known as the Garden of France and the Cradle of the French from the immense number of vineyards and orchards that line the banks of the river.
The Châteaux of the Loire Valley is a section of the architectural heritage that is made of historic cities along the Loire River Valley. What makes this tour so significant is that these châteaux illustrate the different ideals of design during the Renaissance period of France.
There are over 300 châteaux in the region that range from 10th century castles to houses that were built much later. The French kings were the first to construct a château, which then drew other nobles to follow and construct their own. These nobles used some of the most renowned landscape designers and architects.
The surrounding gardens of the châteaux and the building themselves are moments of cultural significance that follow the ideals of the Enlightenment and of the Renaissance. Most of these were also built on hilltops, overlooking the Loire valley.
There is no universally accepted reason for being a Château de la Loire. However the main criteria is that the building must be close to the Loire river in France, or one of its tributaries. There are five châteaux that are the best of Loire Valley which are worth visiting and experiencing.
This distinctive château is pretty famous around the world for its blend of traditional medieval and Renaissance architecture. It is the largest château in the entire Loire Valley, six times the size of the average château in the region, even though it was never fully completed.
It was built as a hunting lodge for Francis I and it is rumoured that Leonardo da Vinci may have been involved in the design of the structure. It has over 400 rooms, 84 staircases, and 365 fireplaces. It was ransacked during the French Revolution so many of the original furnishings are missing. That being said, the decoration and features will still leave you immensely impressed.
It is surrounded on all sides by a 32-kilometer wall, making it Europe’s largest enclosed park. This wall was erected to contain the wild boar and deer when it was used for two months out of the year for hunting.
The Château de Chenonceau is the most photographed of the châteaux within the Loire Valley. It was previously a small fortress on the river Cher until it was replaced with this Renaissance style structure. It is described as the ‘ladies châteaux’, as it was Thomas Bohier’s wife who oversaw the building while her husband was away at war.
It is also one of the most visited châteaux in France, being only second to the Palace of Versailles regarding numbers of visitors. It is so popular because of the gallery over the bridge and its stunning imagery around it. The structure along with the bridge make it one of the defining châteaux of the region.
Found in the center of Amboise within the Centre-Val de Loire region in France is Clos Lucé. This château used to be known as the Manoir du Cloux, and is famous for the owners that it has had over the years, Leonardo da Vinci among them. It is connected via an underground passage to the Château d’Amboise, only 500 meters away.
It is the château where da Vinci spent his last years. It is because of these important owners that this house is a historical Renaissance monument. It currently houses a collection of different models of da Vinci’s inventions.
Poised on a hill above the Loire River, the château d’Amboise became the royals favoured residence in the 15th century. It is also famous for King Francis I being raised here and Leonardo da Vinci coming to the château in 1515. It was during this period that the château would reach the pinnacle of its glory.
It fell out of royal favor and was turned into a prison during the Fronde. Unfortunately, a large section of the château was demolished during the French Revolution later on. Efforts were made at different times to repair the structure and continue to this day with it being in a much better state than it previously was.
This one is a little different as the Château de Blois is located within the center of the city of Blois in Loire Valley. It has been the residence of several different French kings. Blois is also famous for being where Joan of Arc was blessed before leaving with her army to battle the English.
The château is made up of several buildings and controls most of the town. It has around 564 rooms, 100 bedrooms that each have their own fireplace, and 75 staircases. What makes this château so significant is that Francis I constructed one of the period’s most important libraries here. It is this very library that forms the backbone of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
If you visit Loire Valley, you can rest assured that there will be a castle in Loire to suit everyone’s quest for history. Take a wander through the immaculately manicured gardens or explore the interiors for a time capsule a few centuries back to early France culture.
Pick your château wisely as there are a lot of things to do in the Loire Valley.
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