Bucket list experience:
Loire Valley, France
Loire’s strikingly beautiful chateaux are a rich architectural legacy, left by the French royalty and bourgeoisie in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Some were built originally as feudal strongholds, but most as lavish summer residences set amid beautiful game-filled forests, close to the centre of power in Paris.
Many were ransacked or destroyed during the French Revolution, and some are still private homes, but many others are open to the public as hotels and museums.
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Destination Guide >It’s easy to visit the chateaux independently. You’ll need a car (or bike) to get between most of them, although some of the greatest chateaux, including Blois, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chinon and Angers, can be reached by local train services. Booking is not required – you can just turn up.
The bigger chateaux are open all year around, though smaller ones may close in winter (generally November to February). Opening times vary by chateaux and season.
Angers, Pays de la Loire, France
A mighty medieval fortress with 17 stone towers, home to a collection of medieval tapestries including the vast, 103m-long Apocalypse Tapestry, woven for Duke Louis I of Anjou in 1375.
Best for ages: 18+ | £5
Azay-le-Rideau, Centre-Val de Loire, France
A perfect fairy-tale castle, built in 1527, with historic portraits, tapestries and carved four-posters that beautifully capture the Renaissance lifestyle. One of the Loire’s most beautiful and romantic chateaux.
Best for ages: 18+ | £8
Cellettes, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Intimate Renaissance chateau famed for its fine gardens and outstanding portrait gallery of 327 kings, emperors, sultans, generals and other celebrities, from the 14th to the 17th centuries.
Best for ages: 18+ | £11
Saumur, Pays de la Loire, France
Beneath this attractive Renaissance and neo-Gothic chateau is a remarkable 9th-century fortress, a troglodyte labyrinth complete with drawbridge, stables, and guardrooms. The chateau is also known for excellent wines, which you can taste in Les Caves de la Comtesse de Colbert in the chateau grounds.
Best for ages: 18+ | £10
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Saint-Etienne-de-Chigny, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Stately chateau hotel in a magical woodland setting where Louis XIII once came hunting.
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Veigne, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Relaxed, stylish family-run chateau hotel, well located in the heart of the Loire Valley.
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Turquant, Pays de la Loire, France
This quirky, rustic-chic hotel in a troglodyte hamlet has a cave pool and makes a good base for sightseeing.
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Montsoreau, Pays de la Loire, France
Gorgeous designer boutique hotel and spa, located in a tranquil village right by the River Loire.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Loire Valley, France
Extraordinary historic chateaux, authentic village life, and superb wine blend in this beautiful UNESCO-listed valley.
