Road to Château de Chambord

Loire Valley: Playground of the French Kings

Rising turrets, lavish ballrooms, and beautifully manicured gardens, the castles of Loire Valley offer a glimpse into French high society hundreds of years ago. Kings, queens, and the bourgeois elite erected their own strongholds at this crucial frontier to express their power and affluence.

One step removed from France’s capital, Val de la Loire (Loire Valley) boasted strategic importance in the past centuries. It marks the boundary between northern and southern France and was a frontier zone during the Hundred Years War. After King Charles VII reclaimed the crown during the mid-15th century, the area was transformed into the center of French court life.

Embraced as a safe haven away from intrigues in Paris, the royal family took residence in Loire Valley. Soon, the nobility followed suit because they didn’t want or even dared to be far from the seat of power. Their presence began attracting the very best architects and landscape designers. And in the following centuries, more than 300 châteaux (castles) spawned up in this lush, fertile valley.

1. Château Royal d’Amboise

Elegantly settled on a rock cliff overlooking the River Loire, Château Royal d’Amboise (The Royal Castle of Amboise) was a favorite royal residence of many French kings. From Charles VII to Francis I, they all used this Italian-style castle as a frequent get-away from the official royal seat in Blois.

In the second half of the 16th century, Château Royal d’Amboise started falling into demise. The majority of its original structure was later demolished. Only the Gothic wing, the Chapelle St-Hubert, and the outer defensive circuit of towers and walls are still preserved.

Château Royal d’Amboise
Chapelle St-Hubert
This manicured garden resembles the one in the famous novel, Alice in Wonderland

Practical Information

  • Amboise lies on the train route connecting Nantes and Paris. It is accessible by both TGV (express train) and the regional train. The trip takes approximately 1.5 hours.
  • Aside from the royal castle, Amboise is also known for Le Clos Lucé – the former residence of the Florentine genius, Leonardo da Vinci. He moved to this mansion on the invitation of Francis I and lived there until his final moment on 2 May 1519. The museum displays models of various machines designed by Leonardo, as well as the prestigious history of the region.
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2. Château Royal de Blois

Looming on a rocky outcrop at the center of the city of Blois, Château Royal de Blois (The Royal Castle of Blois) provides a magnificent panorama of art and history of the castles of the Loire. It comprises four wings surrounding a spacious courtyard.

Each wing poses a different style, making the château an outstanding example for the development of Frech architecture from the 13th to the 17th century. The castle was the seat of the powerful counts of Blois. Once in royal hands, it became the official residence of several French monarchs, including Louis XII, Francis I, Henry III, and Henry IV.

The courtyard of Blois Castle
The facade of Louis XII wing
The rear of Francis I wing
A beautiful park in front of the castle

Practical Information

  • Like Amboise, Blois lies on the train route between Paris and Nantes. Thus, there are frequent trains and TGV to/from the city. The trip to Paris takes around 90 minutes.
  • Blois is an ideal base to explore nearby castles, especially the grand Château de Chambord.

3. Château de Chambord

If you only have time to visit one castle in the Loire Valley, make it the Château de Chambord. Rising up like Mont Saint Michel, but out of an ocean of trees, Châteux de Chambord is by far the most recognizable French castle. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, making it the world’s most visited châteux. Started as a hunting lodge for Francis I in 1519, this project quickly grew into the region’s largest and grandest château.

It comprises over 400 rooms, 365 fireplaces, and more than 80 staircases. Blending Renaissance features with traditional French medieval structures, the castle is the finest exemplar for French Renaissance architecture. After several setbacks, the gigantic construction was completed 28 years later. But at that time, Francis I didn’t show any enthusiasm for his elaborate building. He kept residing in his royal apartments in Blois and Amboise and only stayed in Chambord on very few occasions.

Road to Château de Chambord
Blending Renaissance features with French medieval structures
Château de Chambord – France’s grandest and most recognizable châteux

Practical Information

  • The most convenient way to visit Chambord is by using your own vehicle.
  • Shuttle bus 41 (provided by Azalys) is a good alternative. It departs from Blois at 9:30 and 11:30 and passes Chambord, Cheverny and Beauregard. Please note that Bus 41 only operates on Wednesdays and weekends, with exception of July and August (bus runs every day during these months). A round trip takes around 6€. The ticket can be bought at the bus driver.
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34 thoughts on “Loire Valley: Playground of the French Kings”

  1. Orvillewrong – "I am well read, fairly well travelled, maybe not as many stamps on my passport as I would like. Young at Heart, Always! I like Military history. I Love Life`s variable, colour, character are potential events to record for posterity!!
    Orvillewrong says:

    Another interesting and informative post, Thank you!

  2. 3sistersabroad – Albury New South Wales – Love to travel, meeting new people. Love taking photos of food and pets. Places I have traveled. Sharing my travels and what works for me. I also have 2 Rare Diseases, Tuberous Sclerosis and Lam Lung Disease. I also have Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease, Fibromyaglia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, High Blood Pressure and Meniers Disease. These conditions will not stop me from traveling the globe.
    3sistersabroad says:

    Its so beautiful thank you for sharing this post and the most amazing photos. xx

  3. Mel & Suan – Singapore – Mel works his day job for a living, but lives for antiquities, history and geography at all other times. He enjoys writing and thought sharing and obviously traveling. Suan is a homey person, who like girlie stuff such as cross stitching etc. Enjoys shopping & modeling for Mel. What a match!
    Mel & Suan says:

    Oh there are so many beautiful Chateau along the Loire! And with vineyards too!

    1. Yeah there are so many châteux that it might take weeks to see them all 🙂 I remember you have been here as well. Did you try the regional wine?

      1. Mel & Suan – Singapore – Mel works his day job for a living, but lives for antiquities, history and geography at all other times. He enjoys writing and thought sharing and obviously traveling. Suan is a homey person, who like girlie stuff such as cross stitching etc. Enjoys shopping & modeling for Mel. What a match!
        Mel & Suan says:

        Oh yes we’ve driven around the Loire many times. And definitely the wines are something to try. We tasted our first red sparkling wine here back in 2004!

  4. Untraveled Routes – India – Add a little travel zing to life with Charu and Ashish. We decided to call our love for travel - Untraveled Routes. An assorted bundle of our avant-garde ideas and experiences to make every travel and life at large an odyssey to remember!!! We help fellow travelers to create classic memories and timeless experiences. We love everything about travel, photography, music, adventure and much more.
    Untraveled Routes says:

    Loire valley is so awesome!!!! You have put the details so well ☺️☺️

  5. Bama – Jakarta, Indonesia – Based in Jakarta, always curious about the world, always fascinated by ancient temples, easily pleased by food.
    Bama says:

    Château de Chambord is indeed the most recognizable of all castles in the Loire Valley. It’s funny that Francis I was not that impressed with this beautiful castle. Reading this post really makes me want to go back to France — I’ve only been once and my short stay was limited to Paris!

    1. It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it? The king spent a large fortune on that castle, but at the end he lost his interest (and probably patience). As a fan of history and architecture, I think you will surely love this region, Bama 😉

  6. Jolene – Sydney, Australia – Jolene is a banker by trade, a writer at heart, and is a contributor to Thought Catalog. You are welcome to peek into her adventures and reflections on films and life at "SoMuchToTellYou", her ultimate love affair with words.
    Jolene says:

    The French do know how to live in opulence… I feel I can save a lot of money just by travelling through your pictures. 😂 I love the garden with the manicured lawns and immaculate 🌳 that remind me of 🎾…
    I think you should be an architect of some sort! Forget medicine, it’s boring!!

      1. Jolene – Sydney, Australia – Jolene is a banker by trade, a writer at heart, and is a contributor to Thought Catalog. You are welcome to peek into her adventures and reflections on films and life at "SoMuchToTellYou", her ultimate love affair with words.
        Jolene says:

        You obviously haven’t worked for very long. Trust me. Once you e worked for a while you would be begging to go back to your student days.
        Architecture would suit you. No physical drawing required! Just an eye for beautiful things. ☺️

      2. Jolene – Sydney, Australia – Jolene is a banker by trade, a writer at heart, and is a contributor to Thought Catalog. You are welcome to peek into her adventures and reflections on films and life at "SoMuchToTellYou", her ultimate love affair with words.
        Jolene says:

        Lol. Asian families always want a doctor or lawyer in the family.
        Happy lunar new year! Any more blogs about your new year eve dinner?? ☺️ I actually had a work function until late last night and missed out dinner altogether!

      3. I guess not 🙂 Didn’t have time to write anything this week. Happy Lunar New Year to you as well! Wish you and your family all the best in the year of the Dog !

  7. arubunwritten – London – Hi! I'm Arub (it's pronounced A-roob, please and thank you) and welcome to arub unwritten a creative outlet for my internal ramblings. Having spent years scribbling away in notebooks and journals, I decided to go digital and turn it into a blog (we are living in the future folks). A self-proclaimed city girl and a lover of literature, pop culture and of culture in general, here you'll find my thoughts on books, film and TV, theatre and the occasional wanderings as I explore the world. I am a little bit of a geek and a lover of fairy tales, sci-fi and YA fantasy so that's the kind of content you'll find here. As a brown girl living in a white world, I'll inevitably bring this lens to my writing and I'm always on the look out for diversity and representation. If you're interested in peeking at what I've been reading, click here. If you're interested in spying on what I've been watching, click here. Happy reading and happy commenting!
    arubunwritten says:

    The Château de Chambord is gorgeous! Great post 🙂

  8. Agness | the Adventure Traveler – Travel freak, vagabond, photography passionate, blogger, life enthusiast, backpacker, adventure hunter and endless energy couchsurfer living by the rule "Pack lite, travel far and live long!"
    Agness of Fit Travelling says:

    This is the first time I am hearing about Loire Valley and the castles there are so remarkable, Len. I fell in love with this place thanks to your pictures. Is it easy to find accommodation there to stay while exploring Loire Valley?

    1. Thank you! I am glad that you like the post. It won’t be difficult to find accommodation in major towns such as Blois or Tours. They are the region’s transportation hubs, thus there is a big chance that you can find a place to stay there 🙂

  9. Very interesting article. We are living in Paris and are planning a bike tour along these magnificent castles. These ones are definitely on our list! Thanks for sharing! Marcella

    1. Cycling would be the best way to explore the area 🙂 It’s a hilly terrain, but I think for enthusiastic cyclists like you two it would be no problem.

  10. happyface313 – Where to begin? I love all kinds of beautiful things and yes, the most important to me is a positive outlook on life, hence my blog name. Enjoy my blog and I’ll be happy to hear from you!
    happyface313 says:

    🙂 So pretty!
    A very HAPPY weekend to you 🙂

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