Visit to the castles of Chenonceau and Chambord

Placed in the first list of Historic Monuments in France in 1840, UNESCO world heritage since 1981, Chambord is one of the most astonishing constructions of the Renaissance. Far from being a residential palace or even a hunting lodge, Chambord embodies a true utopia: that of a brilliant work of art which has not finished revealing all its secrets. In Chambord, you will discover an ideal place, made of harmony and modernity. Because conserving the heritage of humanity is not a fixed attitude, but on the contrary, a perpetual questioning to make it sensitive to the widest audience. Thus, each year, new developments and projects are presented to visitors and a rich program of cultural events punctuates the seasons.

Chenonceau Castle is a Loire castle located in Touraine, in the town of Chenonceaux, in the department of Indre-et-Loire in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Chenonceau, with its famous two-story gallery overlooking the Cher, is one of the jewels of Loire Valley architecture. Its borrowings from Italy and its French characteristics are clearly perceptible. Chenonceau was built, fitted out and transformed by women very different in temperament. It was built by Katherine Briçonnet in 1513, enriched by Diane de Poitiers and enlarged under Catherine de Medici. It became a place of contemplation with “the White Queen”, Louise de Lorraine, then it was saved by Louise Dupin during the French Revolution and finally, transformed by Madame Pelouze. Due to the large number of female personalities who were in charge of it, it is nicknamed “the Ladies’ Castle”.