One day exploring Loire Valley Castles #France

How to spent One day in Loire Vally, France?

We recently concluded our trip covering all corners of France for 11 straight days. While #Paris is an extravaganza, but if like us, if you are in love with the quaint and green villages, charming roadside bakeries, adoring the French villas and Mansions, then you need to explore much beyond Paris. While our journey will be documented soon on our Travel blog, this post is about the tranquil and mystical Loire Valley, the valley of grapevines, wine tasting, and castles aka Château.

The Valley of Castles – Loire Valley

Could you imagine how many castles, aka Château are there in and around Loire Valley? Well, that’s the region of Château’s and there are as many as 300 Castles, most of which were built during the 15th-18th century. And that’s how you get to experience the royalty as soon as you step in these castles, straight out of fairy tales. When it boasts of these numbers, I’m sure every traveller is bound to be confused about which ones to explore, more so with just a day in hand for Loire Valley.

Paris to Loire Valley:

Around 2 hours of beautiful drive from Paris, I must admit that one day is sheer injustice to this paradise. It calls for witnessing beautiful Vineyards, opt for some Wine tasting sessions and not to be missed “castles”. Dedicate at least a day to Loire Valley and explore these castles, if you’re in Paris. The city nearest to Loire Valley is Tours, which is perfect for any type of accommodation. We stayed in a beautiful Airbnb apartment, right on top of the terrace, with vineyards all across. One can simply drive from Tours to any of the nearby Château.

The best time to reach Loire Valley, aka the Château is by 9-9:30 am. Here, I’m sharing top Château of Loire Valley, Tours, which should be there on your list. Of the three recommended castles, the first two will take around 6 hours in totality. 

Mid-post reminder: Most of the Chateau’s get closed between -7pm (individual closing times mentioned below), so, plan your day accordingly.

Best Castles to visit while in Loire valley within a day :

1. Château de Chambord :

As soon as you enter the woody roads leading to the parking for the Castle, you get a glance of the Château peeping amidst the tree trails. What a picture-perfect capture it can be! Château de Chambord is the largest Castle of the Loire Valley and undoubtedly the most beautiful and scenic. Built-in the 15th century by François I, this architecture is a charming provincial ensemble of French Renaissance structure.

This September (2019), it celebrated its 500th Anniversary. This vast castle has in totality 440 rooms, out of which around 60 rooms are open for visitors to view the art and exhibitions. The center of attraction of Chambord is its Double helix staircase, which spirals to the three floors. This is a spectacular architecture to behold. The castle’s surroundings are done with the stunning gardens and instagrammable landscapes. 

When we reached Chambord, it started raining (showers though). With sunlight peeping from the trees, we spotted a beautiful rainbow across the chateau’s tower and its French gardens.  

Points to note :

• You will need a minimum of 2-3 hours to explore the interiors as well as the surrounding French Gardens
• It houses quite a few eateries, so you can have some time to buy your bread and relax surrounded by the stunning landscapes
• Till Autumn (April – October), it opens from 9 am – 6 pm
• During winters, Chateau de Chambord closes by 5 pm. Do check out the holidays and more entry details at their official site
• The Entry Fee is 14,50 Euros for an individual, while it is free for children under 18years.

Let the pictures do some justice now!

2. Château de Chenonceau :

This famous French Château over River Cher built during the 15th century, along with its exquisite gardens, will take your breath away. Quite rich in history, this Château has passed through the hands of Royal legacies until the 19th century. Right from the Royal Rooms and Furniture of Royal families to an exquisite collection of Paintings and Tapestries, Château de Chenonceau, comes out straight from the mystical storybooks.

Its main 2 Gardens, Garden of Diane De Poitiers(flower and vegetable gardens) and Garden of Catherine de Medicis are an absolute refreshing treat to eyes and soul. Both the gardens are truly extensive and you can spend some calm and serene time exploring them. 

• It opens from 9 am – 5 pm or 6 pm according to the seasons.
• During winters, Chateau de Chambord closes by 5 pm. Do check out the holidays and more entry details at their official site
• The Entry Fee is 14,50 Euros for an individual without an audio guide, while it is free for children under 7years.

Here is the exclusive view for the readers:

Well, once you’re done with both these castles, you’ll be left with less time and energy to cover anything more. All you can do now is simply get some stunning clicks with Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire. 

3. Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire :

This comparatively smaller yet magnificent castle stands on River Loire. With the Chapel, stable, this museum also hosts the Garden festival during the Summer and Fall season. With just a day in hand, you should get some pictures clicked with this castle, which is beautified with the Loire river and dense tall trees surrounding it.

These are the three Château’s we covered during our recent trip, as we too had just a day in hand to explore. You can even skip the last Castle and opt for some Wine tasting at Château de Minière, which is in the heart of Loire Valley or more such Wineries and Vineyards.

Notes:

• We traveled as a family with a 5-year-old kid and there was no stopping for us.
• Since the areas are quite open with ample greens around, you tend to feel cold, so do take woolen wear for kids and yourself
• Treat yourself at the eateries available at the Castle ( they might be somewhat expensive though)
• Photography without flash is allowed inside the Chateau’s, so do keep that in mind

If you believe in Magical Fairytales, don’t give them a miss!

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Much Love,

Jhilmil