Château de Chenonceau

Mon petit préféré de tous les Châteaux visités ! Le lieu est magnifique et superbement entretenu. Sans visite guidée, nous avons beaucoup apprécié d’avancer à notre rythme, lisant différentes anecdotes sur le lieu. Chaque pièce a son histoire et ça donne vraiment envie de s’intéresser encore plus à l’Histoire. Tout est meublé, ce qui donne l’impression de rentrer dans la vie de l’époque (notamment dans les cuisines !) et c’est ce qui rend la visite d’autant plus attractive.
Le Parc est lui aussi superbe, hyper bien entretenu. C’est un vrai bonheur de s’y promener, particulièrement hors-​saison lorsqu’il y a encore peu de monde. La visite peut s’avérer longue mais elle n’en perd pas pour autant sa saveur car c’est varié: le Château, le Parc, les jardins, la galerie des Dômes, la Galerie des attelages, le petit étang avec ses animaux, le jardins de fleurs, les ânes… il y a énormément à voir et ça en vaut le détour !
En bref, une visite à né surtout pas louper !

We took a day trip from Paris to the Loire Valley, and Chenonceau was the last stop. It was well worth the wait and long drive back to Paris! It is an absolutely beautiful château built across a river. The rooms are authentically decorated, and there are gorgeous bouquets of flowers throughout — with the flowers taken from the lovely gardens on the grounds. I would highly recommend a guided tour so you can learn more about the history of the château and the French Royal family.

One word: charmed! The Power of Three cast a spell on this château to entice visitors.
Chenonceau’s entrance to bewitch visitors really begins after leaving the parking lot where you must walk a long path lined by tall trees. Visitors cannot see the sky, or the château waiting at the other end. Chenonceau is maybe the most easily recognizable château of all France. The gardens are large and beautiful while the castle itself is on the smaller side. It is possible to walk into the forest behind where many hunting parties likely took place long ago. Early Renaissance architecture designed by Philibert Delorme yet delightfully charming as it sits in a small village of Chenonceaux, the Loire Valley in France. It was built on the site of an old mill on the River Cher.
Château de Chenonceau is like a picturesque background found in travel photo books of France – my favorite of this whole «City of Light» excursion. Oui, ooh la la!

This château is by far the most charming castle I have ever been to, and so well-​kept. Every room has vases filled with fresh flowers and the grounds are lovely. The architecture is late gothic, early Renaissance.
I was told the château survived the Nazi occupation during the war because it was the only bridge across the river Cher in the vicinity. The arched bridge, Pont de Diane, is a lovely ballroom/​gallery. It was built upon the instruction of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri II, who had gifted the castle to her. She loved the château and planted the four gardens on the right surrounding the fountain.
Poor Diane. After Henri died, his widow, Catherine de Medici, kicked Diane out and took over the château. To spite Diane, Catherine built much larger gardens on the left side that dwarfed Diane’s beloved gardens. To make things worse, Catherine changed all the engraved initials of Henri and Diane in the rooms to hers.
Unilocalers, be sure to go down to the kitchen and take a look at the magnificent old stove. It’s enormous.
It’s a pleasure to wander around this beautiful château, with its manicured gardens, park, and airy, sunlit rooms filled with flowers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!