Spend enough time in Europe and eventually even the most enthusiastic history buff can fall victim to ABC syndrome – ‘Another Bloody Castle’. After a few stops on the castle trail, the benchmark rises, one regal home blends into another and it takes something truly special to fuel your medieval fires.
France’s fabled Loire Valley is just what the court doctor ordered. The favoured playground of kings, princes, dukes and nobles from the 15th to 18th centuries, the area was transformed into a vast neighbourhood of lavish châteaux which has remained unmatched in scale and grandeur anywhere in the world.
A glorious testament to the architectural spoils of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Loire Valley châteaux have a certain je ne sais quoi that’s worth experiencing for yourself. There are more of them than you can point a turret at, but here’s the pick of the bunch.
Château de Chambord
Dominating the tiny village of Chambord, this 16th century Renaissance château is the masterpiece of the Loire Valley castles. It’s the second largest castle in France (it’s got 365 fire places for starters), and is famed for its double-helix staircase (attributed by some to Leonardo da Vinci) which consists of two spiral staircases that wind around a central axis but never meet. They do, however, lead to an Italianate rooftop terrace adorned with an exquisite montage of towers, cupolas, domes, chimneys, lightning rods and mosaic slate roofs. Nestled in the heart of a 54km2 hunting reserve – Domaine National de Chambord, which Francois I originally built the château as a hunting base – it truly feels like it’s in a land of its own, far, far away.
Château de Chenonceau
Stretching from one bank of the River Cher to the other, and complete with a sweeping tree-lined driveway, moat, drawbridge, towers and turrets, Chenonceau is like a castle straight out of your favourite fairytale. It’s known as the Château des Dames – the Château of the Ladies – after the succession of remarkable women who lived there and shaped it into what it is today. Long, colourful history in short: the château was completed by the wife of original owner Thomas Bohier, a revenue collector for King Francis I. In 1535, however, Francis I took the estate in payment of debts. King Henry II, son of Francis I, gave the château to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who added the picturesque east garden. After Henry II’s death, his widow Catherine de Médicis claimed the home and, not to be outdone by the ‘other woman’, added an equally impressive west garden, as well as the 60m gallery above the bridge and the stables known as the Bâtiment-des-Dômes. The château became her favourite residence, and it was there that her son Francis II and Mary, Queen of Scots, were married in 1560. More recently, during World War I, the building was transformed into a temporary military hospital.
Château d’Azay-le-rideau
It’s not as big as Chenonceau, and the gardens don’t compare to Villandry, but what it lacks in scale and horticulture, Azay-le-rideau makes up for in pure unadulterated charm. An elegant relic of the first French Renaissance period, Azay-le-rideau sits upon an island in the River Indre, its moat reflecting its high roofs, decorative watch turrets, and long rows of tall windows. Stylistically reminiscent of late 15th century medieval fortresses, the house is adorned with all the refinements of Renaissance architecture. The courtyard, for example, boasts a grand staircase (built by an unknown master architect), and a sterling collection of statues adorns the grounds. A state property since 1907, the château is now a museum of Renaissance furniture and art. It’s also one of the few châteaux to allow picnicking on its immaculate grounds.
Château de Cheverny
Built between 1630 and 1640 and inspired by the Luxembourg Palace in Paris, Cheverny is the biggest private Loire Valley château still occupied by a family. In fact, The Hurault family have owned it for more than six centuries. Flanked by sprawling parkland and gardens on every side, and with an interior lined with the works of Le Titien, Clouet, Raphael and Rigaud, it’s a sight to behold both inside and out. It’s also a rather luxurious hunting lodge, with feeding time for the estate’s more than 70 dogs a popular, if noisy, attraction with visitors. If you’re a fan of the TinTin books, Cheverny may evoke a sense of déjà vu. TinTin’s friend Captain Haddock’s castle is, in fact, the central part of Cheverny and since 2001 the château has housed a permanent exhibition of rooms inspired by the cartoon and its creator Hergé.
Château d’Amboise
Perched on a rocky outcrop above the charming old world town of Amboise, this castle was one of France’s first royal residences. The site had been fortified since Roman times, but the stately address was enlarged and remodelled in Renaissance and Gothic-style architecture under the successive reigns of Charles VIII, Louis XII and François I. Charles VIII, in particular, transformed the château in 1492 and introduced Italian style to the Loire Valley after an impressionable trip to Italy. Today, only a few of the 15th and 16th century structures survive, including the restored Gothic Chapelle Saint-Hubert, where Leonardo da Vinci is believed to be buried, the Salle des Etats and the ramparts. Inside, there’s a stunning collection of Gothic and Renaissance furnishings, while outside the regal gardens have an extensive variety of Mediterranean plants.
Château de Villandry
A 13th century Moorish mosque ceiling from Spain is proof alone that the château itself ain’t too shabby, but it’s the five hectares of spectacular formal gardens around it that make Villandry a national treasure. A dazzling homage to the spirit of the Renaissance, the gardens of Villandry were restored at the beginning of the 20th century by Dr J Carvallo, the owner since 1906, using original plans. Spread over three levels, they comprise the intricate, geometrically divided and symbolically loaded ornamental garden; the seemingly infinite vegetable rows of the potager (kitchen garden); the elevated water garden with its great basin; and the aromatic common garden of medicinal plants, herbs and spices. A canal which is interrupted sporadically by bridges and small waterfalls irrigates the gardens. It’s worth a look all year round, but Villandry is at its most colourful from May to mid-June and August to October.
