Loire Valley- 5 Great Venues East of Tours
The Loire Valley of France is famous for its many romantic
chateaux and its wines. Here are five excellent venues to be
found east of the city of Tours. They are in relatively close
proximity and can be visited in a quick two days or a leisurely
three by car. One can visit these sites in the order listed
going in a generally easterly direction. These are all top-notch
attractions, and a visit to the Loire Valley is not complete
without seeing them all. Each of these chateaux have regularly
scheduled guided tours.
Amboise
The impressive chateau which overlooks the
Loire river from the top of a cliff was a royal residence in the
15th and 16th centuries. Famous French kings and royalty were
raised here, including Francois I, who later as king invited
Leonardo da Vinci to live in Amboise. Leonardo spent the last
few years of his life living and working close by at Clos Luce.
He is buried in the small chapel of Saint-Hubert, just outside
the chateau walls. At Clos Luce an interesting museum has been
built. Using plans drawn by Leonardo da Vinci, a number of his
machines and inventions have been constructed in modern times
and are displayed. They attest to the genius of this man who was
hundreds of years ahead of his time. In the 17th and 18th
century the chateau fell upon hard times and was a prison at one
point. Numerous restoration projects took place over time, and
these continue today under the direction of a foundation managed
by descendants of the former king Louis-Philippe, who also spent
time in Amboise during his reign.
Chenonceau
Perhaps the most famous of the Loire
chateaux, Chenonceau spans the Cher river. It is an amazing
sensation to be touring the chateau and see the rushing waters
of the river pass underneath. The grounds boast two magnificent
gardens, each one built by a famous lady in French history. One
was Diane de Poitiers who was a mistress of king Henri II and
was given the chateau by her admirer. The king's wife, Catherine
de Medici, was not happy about this and took back the chateau
after Henri II died accidentally in a tournament. Not to be
outdone, Catherine had the de Medici gardens constructed, and
these were of course larger than the garden of Diane de
Poitiers. The property has a winery as well, and one can do some
wine tasting as part of a visit.
Chateau de Chaumont
This was Catherine de Medici's
residence during the time that Diane de Poitiers lived at
Chenonceau. After Catherine used her power to claim Chenonceau
upon the death of her husband, Henri II, Diane de Poitiers did
live at Chaumont for a brief period. This chateau is smaller
than some of the other famous Loire chateaux, but its
architectural design makes it look as if it emetged from a fairy
tale. This chateau is now the property of the French
government.
Chateau de Cheverny
A personal favorite of this
author, the Chateau de Cheverny is unique in many ways. It is
newer than some of the other famous properties, having been
built in the early 17th century. Amazingly, the same family that
built the chateau lives in it today. One sees many beautiful
pieces of furniture, tapestries, and works of art in the
magnificent rooms on the chateau tour. The property, unlike many
others in the region, was not ransacked during the French
revolution. According to our tour guide there, the nearby
townspeople actually helped to protect the building from
destruction since the family was always kind to the local
inhabitants. Of course visitors are not allowed into the
residential section of the chateau, but the grounds can be
visited as well. There one will find the kennel which houses
about 90 hunting dogs, and they are taken out on hunts twice per
week in order to keep up the old deer hunting tradition in the
region.
Chateau de Chinon
The Chateau de Chinon is the
largest of the chateaux in the Loire region, and it contains
more than 400 rooms. In contrast to the warmth of Cheverny,
however, there is little furniture and most of the rooms are
empty, as the building was ransacked during the French
revolution. One does get a sense of the opulence that was here,
however, since both king Louis XIII and his son, king Louis IV
(the "Sun King") stayed here on many occasions. Prior to that
the chateau was the residence of Charles VII, the dauphin of
France in the early 15th century. The legendary Joan of Arc came
here to pledge her allegiance to him and urged him to declare
himself king and fight to liberate France from the English. In
recent years Chinon has become well known for its cabernet franc
based wines and there are numerous opportunities nearby to
sample some of these wines.
The Chateaux of the Loire are among the most popular
destinations in France. Don't miss any of these great venues if
you go there. If you have additional time to spend in the area,
there are other smaller and less famous chateaux nearby which
can be visited, and these are impressive as well.