Château de Chenonceau

The history of the Château of Chenonceau is defined by a an almost uninterrupted succession of women who built, embellished, protected, restored and saved it. Beloved by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, it perfectly embodies the elegance of the Renaissance châteaux built in the Loire Valley in the 16th century. Its arches support a double gallery and gracefully span the Cher River. As you wander through the richly furnished rooms (the kitchen, the bedrooms of Louise de Lorraine and Gabrielle d'Estrées, Henri IV's favourite, the Medici gallery, the François I salon, the bedroom of the five queens, etc.), an iPod recounts precious pieces of French history. In the estate's grounds, visitors will also fall under the spell of the gardens of Diane and Catherine, the Russel Page garden and the flower kitchen garden. Chenonceau Castle is the only castle in France to have a floral workshop, where Jean-François Bouchet and his team create superb bouquets for each room. Everyone agrees that they alone are worth the trip! A little further on, the Cave des Dômes is the perfect place to taste AOC Touraine-Chenonceaux wines, while the Galerie des Attelages houses a small museum of horse-drawn vehicles. There is also a snack bar in the splendid Dômes building, with a large shaded terrace (hot dishes, salad buffet, desserts). Several themed tours and events are offered throughout the year: wine tours, summer night walks, botanical tours, Christmas Magic in the land of Châteaux, and more. With its exceptional architecture and as a spearhead for tourism in Touraine, Chenonceau Castle is one of the most visited castles in France. Buoyed by positive reviews, it attracts travellers from all over the world to the small village of Chenonceaux, whose name is spelled with an ‘x’. The Chenonceau Castle tour is available in 11 languages on the App Store. Before you arrive, you can take a stroll through the gardens of Chenonceau Castle from the comfort of your own home thanks to Google Street View. Access by car: 40 minutes from Tours, 2½ hours from Paris, 30 minutes from Saint-Aignan (Beauval Zoo). Access by train: 35 minutes from Tours station. Access by bicycle: Cœur de France à Vélo route along the Cher (32 km from Tours), ‘la voie royale’ cycle loop from Amboise (45 km round trip). Advance booking required.