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Loire chateauBest Loire Chateaux  When it comes to chateaux the Loire valley gives the Dordogne a good run for its money!  However whereas the Dordogne chateaux are generally situated on craggy cliff tops, many of the most impressive Loire chateaux are majestically set in river valleys, in forest clearings or, in the case of Chenonceau, straddling the river!  Unlike the Dordogne chateaux, the Loire chateaux were built with luxury and pleasure as their raison d'être!

Château de ChambordChâteau de Chambord - Excellent for letting off steam.

Location: On D112, 18km E of Blois
General Info: Open all year except Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25.  Children free, charge for adults. Tel No: 0(2) 54 50 50 00.
Description: A first sighting of Chambord will truly take your breath away due simply to the scale of the place – it is awesome! which isn’t surprising given that there are well over 400 rooms in the château alone, only a fraction of which can be visited. (80 rooms) This is not a sumptuously decorated chateau like others of the region and in fact many of the rooms you can visit are empty of furniture, but it is fun to walk around and get a feel for what it must have been like to live in such a vast place. The grand staircase is great fun, especially for children, as it was designed as a double spiral so that people going up and down need not pass each other. Within the grounds of the chateau it is possible to take rides around the park and for an extra charge there are equestrian displays in season.

Our favourite Chateaux in the Loire valley:

 

        - Angers Castle
        - Château de Brézé
        - Château de Chambord
        - Château de Chenonceau
        - Château de Villandry

External websites offering information on Chateaux in the Loire valley:

- Amazing castles of France
- Casteland.com website
Chosen by our children:

     - Top Attractions in the Loire
     - Top ten Holiday destinations in France