We simply love Europe with its deep-rooted history, great cuisine, and myriad of things to do. France is one of our favorite countries to visit. Maybe my French roots have something to do with that!
We had previously enjoyed time in Paris as well as the French Riviera and Normandy but one area that we were fascinated with and wanted to visit for a long time was the Loire Valley. This wonderful area is so rich with castles you could spend weeks there and not see them all. One map we picked up showed 103 visitable castles in total, and as we drove around, we saw many more.
Consider that many châteaux were destroyed during the French Revolution! Some were preserved but many were also rebuilt. I guess it was fashionable to have a hunting camp in the Loire Valley for French nobility and the well-to-do.
When to go to the Loire Valley
We did our trip at the end of April which was great because it was less crowded and a bit cooler than summertime for sightseeing. You do take a chance with rain however and we had a few rainy days forecasted but fortunately we were able to still do our visits with only a little drizzle.
Some of the castles had not planted their flowers yet while others had dazzling beds of tulips in full bloom.
We also noticed that more châteaux opened in May and others extended their hours after that. An early May trip may be even more spectacular (but probably more crowded too).
Getting there
We flew into Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and rented a car. It was good that we got a small compact as the parking spots around town were tiny and many of the roads quite narrow. You could possibly do this trip as a tour, but we loved having the flexibility of our own car.
Traveling by train or bus would be difficult as many of the châteaux are widely separated and this would not be very efficient.
The car rental rates were quite reasonable and the hybrid we rented was great on gas. However, in some areas the gas stations were far and few in-between, so do fill-up when you can.
Where to stay
The castles are all nestled along and around a stretch of the Loire River spanning over 170 miles (280 km). We elected to stay in Amboise which proved to be both a charming town and a great central spot. Amboise is about 3 hours’ drive from Charles de Gaulle airport, but once there all the castles we visited were just a short drive (at most one hour) away.
We spent 5 nights in Amboise which was convenient to let us settle into the wonderful Manoirs Les Minimes Hotel. If you plan to spend more time, you might want to select a few towns along the Loire. We’d suggest picking the smaller charming castle towns over the larger ones.
It was fun to walk around the old cobblestone streets and eat on the restaurants’ terraces. We had the best viennoiseries (pastries) in Amboise from a local family bakery that had been there for over 100 years. How cool is that? We simply loved Amboise and tried many good (and reasonably priced) restaurants there with delicious food.
To break things up a bit, we stayed in Fontainebleau for the first couple of nights to see the famous château there. We also added a night at Charles de Gaulle Airport from where we visited the Château de Chantilly. These could both be great day trips from Paris or layover options.
Coming off an overnight flight, staying in Fontainebleau also prevented us from having to drive the first day after not sleeping well on a red-eye flight and still adjusting to the time zone.
You can also opt for a day or more in Paris to get settled in. See our post: Must-See Attractions and Some Lesser-Known Places to Visit in Paris
On the way to the Loire Valley
For sure you can take the A-10 toll road highway to the Loire Valley but we set our GPS to avoid tolls so we could take the smaller more scenic routes through the many historical towns. (Be sure to download the area’s map on your phone, so you can use Google Maps offline. In some area cellular service was spotty).
To stretch our legs and get ourselves into castle viewing mode, we stopped on our way to Amboise at a few castles along the way.
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
This huge château is about an hour’s drive from the airport depending on traffic. Keep in mind it only opens at 11 am. It’s a fabulous château and while still under renovation we were impressed by the beauty of the castle and the grounds.
Definitely take the audio guide as the narration takes you through the history of the Vaux-le-Vicomte. It’s enough to make a King jealous. We won’t say anymore…
Château de Nemours
This little medieval castle was just a short 20-minute drive from Fontainebleau, and we stumbled upon it and stopped to take a look. Château de Nemours is part of a picturesque historic town. There was a special event going on at the castle so we could not see the inside but the setting on the banks of the Loing River made for some great photos. It was originally a fortress strategically placed to protect the city of Nemours and dates back to the 12th century. Take a walk around the town and visit the Church of St John the Baptist.
Château de Bellegarde
Also, along the scenic route but unfortunately under renovation and closed for visiting. We stopped for a few photos and grabbed a coffee at the neighboring cafe and stretched our legs.
Châteaux in the Loire Valley
There are well over a hundred castles, estates, and manors that you can visit in the Loire Valley. We picked up a map that showed 103 visitable châteaux in total. Keep in mind that some are only seasonally open starting in May and others have extended hours from May through August. Some have split hours (you can only visit before noon or after 2:30 pm) and still others were only accessible with guided tours or needed timed entry tickets or reservations.
So, with all the castles to choose from, how do you even begin? First, I’ll say that there are Castles and there are Castles. Some of the larger ones can take much of the day to explore while others can be viewed in an hour.
We wanted to pick some of the most famous châteaux to make sure we got to see these but also wanted to select different styles. Some were built in the 1000-1200 and are more like medieval fortresses with stone walls and huge towers and dungeons. Others were built in the 1600s in a Renaissance-style with elegant windows and turrets and decorated interiors with intricate details. And some castles have gardens that are spectacular in their own right.
In the list below, we selected most of the castles in our itinerary as we researched our trip. We even bought timed tickets for some as the covid restrictions were still in place and these were needed. We stumbled upon others or just happened to add them in because they were close to our environs. It was fun to have some spontaneity in the plan.
Our favorite Châteaux
The following is definitely our must-do castle list (in the order that we visited them). Of course, this is subjective, but some of these are the best known and the most famous.
Château de Sully-sur-Loire
This beautiful fortress and medieval castle just looks spectacular over the surrounding water. While you can visit on your own, we would encourage you to watch the short movie to get some history about the castle and if timing works take the daily guided tour offered at 2:30 pm. Walk along the castle ramparts and see where they would drop stones and boiling oil on those that tried to breach the defenses.
Château de Chambord
One of the most famous and the largest château in the Loire Valley with over 400 rooms of which only a few select ones are visitable, this château is one of the must-sees despite the ongoing renovations. We bought separate tickets for the Horse and Falcon show, but this was more for kids and more of a fairytale enactment of the story of King François I. We’d recommend skipping this unless you have kids.
There are some great vistas from the castle’s terraces to view the French Gardens. The stone spiral staircase is one of the nicest features. See also the splendid, sculpted vaulted ceilings and the rooftop lantern tower.
Château de Cheverny
Another of the more famous must-do castles, Château de Cheverny is known for its over one hundred hunting dogs that are kept at the castle’s kennels. They used to do a daily feeding show at 11:30 am but this is now discontinued due to covid.
It was a bit early for the usual flowers when we visited in April but there were thousands and thousands of tulips which were just beautiful. Also, the castle was still decorated for Easter.
The château has been in the Vibraye family since 1632! And is still occupied by the Marquis and Marchioness of Vibraye.
Château Royal de Blois
In the town of Blois, this was one of the few castles without its own parking lot, but we found a metered city spot just below the walk-up to the castle entrance. Parking was quite limited, and we probably lucked out with the overcast day (and we arrived early).
The Blois still has many of the original Royal studies and rooms intact. The rooms were all nicely decorated with epoque artifacts and furniture. Throughout the castle you can see the emblem of François I, the salamander, and the emblem of Louis XII, the porcupine. In the central courtyard the spiral corkscrew staircase is a famous feature of this castle.
We took the HistoPad but found it a bit of a distraction. Not much more info than the signs and lugging around and positioning the large iPad on a necklace was inconvenient.
Château de Chaumont
Best known for its spectacular gardens, Chaumont is also included on our must-see Loire Valley castle list. Climb up the turrets for amazing views of the gardens. The rooms were beautiful too but there was a modern art exhibition and many of the pieces displayed were distracting for us. All the same you don’t want to miss visiting this treasure.
Purchased by Queen Catherine de Medici in 1550, the Domaine turned out to be a good investment due to its prime location along the Loire River and farming lands. There’s a great view of the Loire River from the courtyard.
Château Royal d’Amboise
Staying in Amboise we had a beautiful view of this château to wake up to every morning. The huge and imposing stone fortress perched up on the hill overlooking the small town of Amboise was impressive to say the least.
Even then, we were surprised and amazed to enter the ramparts and discover a beautiful garden in the middle hidden from view beyond the tall walls. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the upkeep and preservation are just excellent. The chapel is currently under renovation.
A Royal castle from the 1400s until the 1800s, it was a place of residence for French kings and other important sovereigns. Many literary figures and artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, were also guests at the castle.
From the imposing stone walls and towers to the Renaissance-style furnished rooms, we loved it and would definitely call it a not to be missed castle in the Loire Valley.
Château du Clos Lucé
Also in Amboise, the Clos Lucé museum and grounds are within walking distance of the town center. Built in 1471 on original 12th century foundations it was purchased by King Charles VIII in 1490. Inhabited by many royals, the château is best known for being occupied by Leonardo Da Vinci the last three years of his life from 1516-1519. You can still see his preserved workshop and many of his inventions.
The interior is well appointed and easy to visit but plan time to walk the surprisingly large grounds of the château to see the numerous life-size replicas of inventions. The kids can touch too and see how they work!
Château de Villandry
Known for its amazing gardens and belvedere with panoramic views this is also one of our must-do castles. Simply wonderful!
The nicely decorated rooms give just enough information about the history. Villandry was built around 1536 atop the vestiges of a 12th century fortress. Of the medieval castle only the keep and the foundations remain. The rest of the château is designed in a Renaissance-style. Plan a little extra time to enjoy the gardens. We loved it.
Château D’Azay-le-Rideau
Originally built in 1518 on an island of the River Indre this château is also a must and a fine example of French Renaissance architecture and sculpture. It’s a beauty to look at from every angle. Be sure to walk around and see the mirror-like reflection of the southern façade in the water. Delightful!
We also saw some frogs jumping off the grass into the river and read that there are over fifty bats still living in the ceiling rafters. Plan at least an hour.
Château D’Ussé
Known as the castle to have inspired Charles Perrault’s Sleeping Beauty fairytale, the decorated castle rooms are filled with life-sized dolls and the tower has the story made up in about a dozen displays. As you would imagine, there were long lines of little girls in princess dresses lined up at the entrance with their parents.
The castle’s history is quite impressive having been built by descendants of the Viking invasions of the 9th century. After the Maillé family acquired it in the year 1000, ownership has been traced through multiple owners up to the current owner the Duke of Blacas who has been painstakingly restoring the castle since 1970.
Don’t miss the path down to the interesting dungeons and prisons or the old chapel constructed in 1521 with the 12 apostles carved into the archway! You’ll also see caves where they cut the rocks for the castle that later served as wine cellars.
Château et Park de Langeais
As we drove by, we stumbled upon this interesting medieval castle with a draw bridge (still functioning) located in a quiet and picturesque town. A lovely surprise! Again, leave your GPS in no-tolls mode to take the small streets!
The location served as a secret early morning wedding location for King Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany. And you can learn about the event in a room that gives a narrated short video of the history.
In the park, do check out the old foundations and vestiges of the Tower of Langeais that date back to the year 994!
Château de Chenonceau
Another must-do, this spectacular château and extensive grounds is built over the water with its many arches. With a rather sordid history the Château de Chenonceau belonged to one of King Henri III mistresses who was promptly evicted by the Queen upon his demise.
Of the original fortress only the keep remains, the Château de Chenonceau was built in the 16th century. The castle’s most impressive feature is the 60 meters long gallery that straddles the Cher River. Nicely furnished and easy to tour, be sure to look from the balconies at the lovely gardens from above. There is also a large 16th century farming complex where you’ll see old carriages and farm equipment through the ages.
We needed to get timed tickets for entry, and this was one of the most crowed of the châteaux we visited. That said we still leave it on the must-do list just because of its beauty and significance.
Château de Valençay
We had heard about the château’s resident peacocks and sure enough on arrival we heard the cries of these beautiful birds. They roam the grounds freely so sightings are not guaranteed but you can sure hear them from afar. We got lucky to see one too.
Originally owned by the King’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the château was used to greet dignitaries from all over the world.
We rented a golf cart, but we’d suggest skipping this as the tour just goes through the forest and by some grottos where entry is prohibited. It was far from crowded and we were able to see the grounds and château in about an hour.
Château de Bouges
A small château with extensive grounds but you’ll need a guided tour to visit the interior. Arriving late in the day we found that the guide had left. We ended up exploring the gardens before returning to Amboise.
Fougères sur Bievre
Abandoned by the English in a state of ruin in 1429 it was taken over and restoration started in 1450. A great medieval castle to see dungeons and roam the ramparts. Unfortunately, when we stumbled upon this one, it was closed so we only admired it from the outside.
Conclusion
We loved our trip to the Loire Valley and would highly recommend this deep dive into French history and culture to anyone. Budget tells me we put 1,200 km (745 mi) on the rental car in a week visiting the castles and doing the scenic drives.
Getting lost in small towns and sampling local cheeses and croissants was all part of the adventure and we will have memories of the friendly people we met in the many scenic towns that we got to visit.
We are already thinking about another trip to Carcassonne or maybe even to La Rochelle where my ancestors may have set sail from to Quebec.