If you conduct an online search of the Loire Valley Châteaux, you will see there are no less than 300 in the region. You could spend an entire year visiting all of them and not see the same thing twice. The chateaus are an illustration of the Renaissance design in France. Some are fortified castles where the French kings of the 10th resided, while others are homes built 500 years later. Nobles were drawn to build in the region because if you wanted to be in favor with the king, you had to be near the king.
Royal residences included Chambord [link to the other attraction], Chenonceau [link to the other attraction], Blois [link to the other attraction], Loches which was captured by Richard the Lionheart, and Chinon where Joan of Arc met Charles VII. The chateaus of the nobility have in part become art galleries and museums. Brissac is the tallest château, Brézé boasts the deepest moats, while Montsoreau is the only châteaux built in the Loire riverbed. Some châteaus had their own churches, some were built on hilltops, and some are now hotels and bed and breakfasts where you can stay to visit the rest.
By Train:
It is 1 hour TGV train ride (or a 2.5 to 3-hour drive) from Paris. The train stops in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station. There is a shuttle train connecting you to the main station in the center of town
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m
Monday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Waiting Time
Entrance Fee
Time you can spend
Weather
Be the first one to start a thread.
