Due to its location - in the center of France and close to Paris - the Loire Valley for more than 600 years was built up by the capital's elite. Here the intrigues were splashing and the amorous passions of the French royal persons were boiling, giving many plots for the novels of Dumas. The variety of architecture of castles, successfully "inscribed" in the enchanting landscapes, attracts not only history lovers, but also all connoisseurs of the beautiful. Traditionally, the palaces of the Loire Valley include 42 palaces, although their total number is close to 300.
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How to reach the castles of the Loire Valley
Trains to Blois go from the Austerlitz train station in Paris to the Tours can be reached from both the Austerlitz train station (2 hours and 20 minutes) and from the Montparnasse station (by TGV express train, 1 hour 10 minutes). Full timetable and routes can be found on the website of the French Railways. The automobile route runs from Paris along the A10 highway to Orléans and further along the river to Saumur. The area from Blois to Saumur is about 150 kilometers, on which the "must-see" is dispersed.
Transport and movement
In summer, Blois, Chambord, Cheverny and Beauregard connects a special bus route. You can get to Amboise from Blois in 20 minutes by train. The TER commuter trains run from Tours to Chenonceau (22 minutes), Amboise (18 minutes), Aze-le-Rideau (55 minutes), Chinon (1 hour 10 minutes). Also from Tours to Chenonceau there is a bus with a stop in Amboise.
The most pleasant way to travel is, without a doubt, a bike trip. An extensive network of bicycle paths, numerous rental points, flat terrain, and most importantly - complete independence and the opportunity to enjoy not only destinations, but also the journey itself - everything has to bike ride. Tracks are laid in the fields, away from highways, maps can be obtained at any tourist office or downloaded from the site about traveling by Loire by bicycle.
- See at least some of the 42 magnificent castles - and do not die, and again go back to inspect the rest.
- Pay tribute to the memory of the great Da Vinci in Amboise.
- Feel the refined spirit of a beautiful era in the castle of France itself - Chenonceau.
- "Read" "Angers apocalypse" - a series of tapestries, performed on the grounds of the Revelation of John the Theologian.
- Watch the colorful play "Chambord - a dream and lights."
- Take a walk in the gentle and passionate "Love Gardens" in the castle of Villandry.
Where to stay
The two most convenient starting points for visiting castles are the cities of Blois and Tours. Blois - a pleasant chamber city, preserving adequate prices and a cozy atmosphere, despite the abundance of tourists. In addition, Blois can boast of having its own castle, and not simple, but the largest of all the castles of the valley. The tour is more ambitious, there are more hotels, 2 train stations. From here it is convenient to get to the castles down the river - Chenonceau, Villandry, Aze-le-Rideau, Chinon. Fans of architecture like its old half-timbered houses.
One of the options for accommodation: to settle not in a standard hotel, but in a real castle - is guaranteed to enhance the experience. However, feel like a medieval king or queen in its entirety will not work, because of the availability of sewage, hot water and air conditioning, but this is hardly an excuse for the disorder, rather, vice versa. The cost of pleasure is from € 100 for a double room.
Locks
Chambord Castle
A fairy-tale palace is the castle of Chambord, in which for five centuries of its existence lived on the strength of twenty years, using it only for hunting and temporary entertainment. For this reason, the interior decoration of the halls is poorer than its architectural composition, and during the trip tourists usually inspect the castle only from the outside.
Amboise Castle
The castle of Amboise is directly connected with the life story of three kings - Charles VIII, Louis XII, Francis I - and the famous Leonardo da Vinci, whom Francis I managed to invite to France .It was here, in Amboise, that the great Italian spent the last years of his life .Unfortunately, today only the Royal House is preserved from the whole ensemble, the facade of which goes to the Loire, the chapel of Saint Hubert and the two towers - Minim and the tower of Gurto .The most beautiful part of the castle is undoubtedly the chapel of St. Hubert, whose amazing stone patterns are often compared with lace .
Chenonceau Castle
In the heart of the Loire Valley is the Chenonceau Castle .Its "popular" name is "Dam Castle", and it is one of the most beloved, famous and visited buildings in France .In its current form, the castle was founded between 1513 and 1521 by Thomas Boye .The magnificent landscape, French-style gardens and the park that surround the castle make an indelible impression .Chenonceau is remarkable not only for its architecture and history, but also for the wealth of its collections: Renaissance furniture, wall carpets and tapestries of the 16th and 17th centuries, and numerous paintings by Rubens, Primaticcio, Corrage, Tantore, Rigo, Nattier, Van Loo and Minyara .
Here, besides visiting the castle itself, you can go to the Wax Museum, stroll through the maze, taste the wines in the cellars of the citadel.
Cheverny Castle
Since the creation in 1634 to the present day, the castle of Cheverny was in the hands of the same family, so that he appears before us in an almost unchanged form .The descendants of the castle's founder, Jacques Yuro, occupy the top, third, floor of the castle (there is no access), but the rest of the rooms, magnificently furnished with furniture from the era of Louis XIII, seem inhabited and inhabited .The castle is famous for its kennels with six dozen hounds trained for hunting, and also a beautiful park in English style .Walking by giant sequoias and cedars is offered not only on foot, but also on an electric car, and motor boats run along the canal that crosses the park .
Villandry Castle
The multi-level gardens of the castle of Villandry are a real work of park art. What is worth only the "Gardens of love" - the allegory of love, tragic, tender, passionate and inconstant. "Boxwood Living Rooms", an intricate decorative garden and a garden of medicinal plants, surrounded by fountains, will touch the hearts of even absolutely indifferent to botany. The palace, to match the gardens, elegant and unusual, built in the shape of a Latin letter U with an asymmetrical facade, was erected in 1536.
Ase-le-Rideau Castle
Rising above the bend of the river Endra, the snow-white castle of Aze-le-Rideau seems to float along its waters. Belonged to the Treasurer of Francis I, Gil Berthelot, he was built under the strict guidance of his wife, Philippa Lebay. It was thanks to its refined taste that the castle became a real pearl of the valley. Az-le-Rideau is one of the castles with preserved authentic interiors.
Chinon Castle
Unlike most castles in the Loire Valley dating back to the Renaissance, Chinon Castle is a real medieval fortress .The main building of the castle was erected in 954, later around it appeared several buildings, occupying a total of 400 meters in length and 70 meters in width .The castle played a significant role during the Hundred Years War: it was here that Joan of Arc appeared to the future King Charles VII, having spurred him to begin the liberation movement .For 6 years, from 2003 to 2010, the castle was carried out large-scale restoration work, and now for visitors a unique interactive exposition is opened, telling about the history of the fortress . In the castle there is a museum of Joan of Arc.
Anzher Castle
The gloomy giants tower the fortress walls of the castle in Angers. Inside, behind perfectly formed and well-groomed lawns, there is a church and a small castle. Visit the castle is not only to impress the scale of medieval architecture, but also to "read" the "Anzher apocalypse" - a series of tapestries performed on the grounds of the Revelations of St. John the Theologian.
Photo of the Loire Valley (5)