Loire Valley castles route: the best things to see

One of the more interesting and attractive trips what can you do in France is, without a doubt, a car route through the Loire Valley, which is currently a top destination among Spanish tourists who visit the neighboring country.

Esta area of ​​France located less than two hours from Paris is a cultural landscape which has had great importance throughout history, as it was the corner chosen by French royalty and aristocracy to enjoy life in its famous royal castles and palaces.

Of the historical importance and tourist interest of the Loire Valley serves as an example of the fact that a part of this area of France is declared Heritage.

Loire Valley, which section is a World Heritage Site?

The area preserved by the declaration of the Unesco is the cultural landscape de 280 kilometers between Sully-Sur-Loire y Angers/Chalonnes-sur-Loire, where its “small historic cities and towns, large architectural monuments (castles and palaces) and farmland” stand out.

And it is also worth highlighting the great prominence that in the Loire Valley have had outstanding figures in world history such as Joan of Arc y Leonardo da Vinci.

What is the Loire Valley like?

At the outset you should know that the Loire river is the longest in France, with more than 1.000 kilometers in length, and is so important that in the past it was a basic channel for communication within the country, since it was very easy to transport goods through it.

El Loire river It even had tolls, and was also used by the Vikings during the Middle Ages to besiege cities.

And this characteristic of being a great communication and trade channel It was one of the keys to there being so many castles, although all this changed with the arrival of the railway.

But Loire river It was not fully navigable in times of drought, and in other times there were floods, so the arrival of the train cut short the idea of ​​making it fully navigable.

Why are there so many castles in the Loire Valley?

In Middle Ages there were already many castles fortress, but with the arrival to power of Francisco I, one of the most important kings in the history of France, the entire region underwent an enormous change.

The French kings liked to have itinerant courts, and their entire entourage always traveled with them, which could have up to 10.000 people, and among them many nobles who built their own castles in places close to where the king settled.

This meant that if a king built a castle, all its surroundings would be filled with palaces, which here are also known as castles.

In the area protected by the Unesco , the Heritage There are up to 40 castles, although if we include the course of the river up to Nantes, there are about 70.

Best castles to see on a road trip through the Loire Valley

An car route through the Loire Valley will allow you to visit those spectacular castles and palaces, where you can also see beautiful gardens.

In addition, you can complement the trip by knowing beautiful towns and cities and enjoying various tourist activities.

Among them stands out the cycling, for which you have a great cycle route The Loire in Velo of up to 900 kilometers that follows the course of the river and you can combine by train, or navigate through Loire river.

You can do this on an excursion aboard a traditional barge, or also giving a ride on a tourist boat or in a canoe.

And, of course, another of the attractions of a route through the Loire Valley is to taste its delicious gastronomy, as well as their wines, which is another characteristic of the traditional art of living that you always enjoy in a trip through France.

Here you have complete information about the wine domains of the Loire Valley and wineries that you can visit during your trip.

Below we detail some of those attractions that we have had the opportunity to see on our trips through the area.

Map of the Route through the Castles of the Loire Valley

To make it easier for you to find information, we have made a map where you can see the route to visit the castles.

In addition, the cities that must be visited are included on this map.

This map is the result of all the information you will see in the article, so for each place you see on the map, there will be more detailed information.

A trip through the Loire Valley on video

For those of you who like to consume information on video, we have one published about this trip.

Many of the places we talk about in this article appear in the video we have on our channel YouTube.

So you can see how beautiful it is Route through the castles of the Loire Valley, don't forget to watch the video of our experience.

The best castles and palaces in the Loire Valley to visit

As we have mentioned, the most famous attraction of this region of France is visiting its castles.

The French name of castles We tell you that it refers to four types of constructions.

First of all, oldest castles type medieval fortress; on the other hand, the royal palace where throughout its history the kings of france.

You will also see others castles his palaces where the counts of the region resided; and, finally, they also have the name of castles great manor houses from noble families.

In the area protected by the Unesco There are up to 40 castles that are the result of the movements of the French kings and itinerant courts through the region, although there are 23 main castles that are most visited by tourists.

Specifically, here you can check what the 23 main castles and highlights of the Loire Valley, with its location on the map.

Below we are going to highlight some of the most important ones, which we have had the opportunity to visit on a circular route from Paris during our recent trip through the Loire Valley.

Chateau de Meung-sur-Loire

Outside of Orleans you can visit the Chateau de Meung-Sur- Loire, which belonged to Bishop of Orleans.

Originally there was a manor house and a bell tower, but later the building was expanded, in addition to the other towers being raised.

They call him the castle of two faces because during the 18th century the then bishop decided to rebuild it and only updated the decoration of one of the facades, preserving the other fortress-type facade and the medieval towers.

When visiting its interior entrance you will be able to see a 18th century chapel de neoclassical style.

And the most beautiful thing about this castle is that most of the rooms show what life was like in this type of castle from the beginning. Middle Ages until the aforementioned century.

Chambord Castle 

Next the route by car takes us to one of the star castles and the largest in the Loire Valley, Chambord Castle.

Built in 1539 by king francis i, Is a castle fortress which follows the tradition of French castles combined with an interior decoration of the Italian Renaissance.

The castle was not completed until the 17th century, when Louis XIV, known as Sun King spent several seasons in Chambord and ordered it to be finished.

When are you going to visit the castle of Chambord you almost have the feeling of reaching a Theme Park because of the large parking lots around it.

Your visit inside will focus on one of the towers, so you will gradually climb two floors along its helical staircase to end on the terrace.

On the lower floor you will find large rooms, but it will be on the first floor where you can go through various rooms that were inhabited by both Francis I, as later by Louis XIV, which show decoration from those different periods.

Once on the terrace you will surround one of the towers, which will allow you to enjoy panoramic views of the gardens from various perspectives.

For your visit you can use a histopad with which in Spanish You will receive explanations about the different rooms as you arrive at them.

• This is what a visit to Chambord Castle is like
• Where to buy tickets in advance
• Chambord and Chenonceau excursion from Amboise

Royal Castle of Blois in Loire Valley

Your visit to Blois during the route through the Loire Valley will focus on its Royal Castle, located on top of a hill with panoramic views of the city and the river.

Different kings of France resided in this fortification.

Since it went from being in the Middle Ages a county castle, to become a Royal castle when Louis II of Orleans was appointed King of France with the title of Louis XII.

Some time later in 1515, the king francis i built a wing with French and Italian mix styleo.

Finally, in 1639 the Prince Gaston built the wing neoclassical style.

Now, during your visit to Royal Castle of BloisWhen you are in its large interior patio you will see three wings of very different architecture, highlighting the exterior ceremonial staircase that ascends in circles.

It should be noted that on summer nights, you can attend a very interesting light and sound show in which, through images shown on the four facades of the interior patio, the history of the castle and the kings who passed through it are told. .

Chenonceau Castle

One of the most impressive castles that you can visit in a route through the Loire Valley is, without a doubt, that of Chenonceau.

It was built in 1520 and was able to be preserved thanks to the fact that during the French Revolution It was used as a bridge to cross the river, as it was the only one for many kilometres.

Indeed, the peculiar characteristic of Chenonceau Castle is that it is a building that grew in different phases from a tower located on the banks of the river, with new phases built on the river.

The result is that also during Second World War This bridge-box was used to cross from one side of the river to the other in an area that delimited the occupied France by the Nazis Free France.

Facing your visit of Chenonceau Castle, what will first catch your attention is its spectacular location on the river, surrounded by beautiful and flowery gardens in a wooded area.

This way it will be easy for you to understand why Chenonceau is from one of the most visited castles in the Loire Valley.

On your walk through its interior, covering two floors, you will see sumptuous lounges and other rooms.

La visit of Chenonceau You can complete it by signing up for various leisure activities, such as boat ride on the river, kayak.

Royal Castle of Amboise

when you get to Amboise You will find yourself in a very charming little town, with a main street that starts from the Loire river and extends to the foot of the rocky promontory where the royal castle is located.

This castle was originally a medieval fortress that began to be used by the kings of france as a place of temporary residence during his many trips around the country.

For these trips, the kings were accompanied by a court of up to 10.000 people, and they even moved all the furniture from one castle to another.

On Royal Castle of Amboise The presence of kings such as Carlos y Francisco I.

At present, Amboise Castle A fifth of its original construction remains, since in the 19th century after the French Revolution and the time of Napoleon much of it was destroyed.

What will most catch your attention during your visit to the castle will be the spectacular Panoramic views that you have from the viewpoints and its gardens, both in the city of Amboise and in the Loire River and its surroundings.

Also noteworthy is the royal chapelWhat remains of the original castle, where you can see the grave of Leonardo da Vinci who spent the last stage of his life in Amboise.

He was buried in the church that was inside the castle grounds, which was destroyed in the 19th century.

Some time later, during excavations, the remains of the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci, whose body was finally buried in the aforementioned chapel.

During the visit you will visit two clearly differentiated spaces, a first floor with a flamboyant Gothic style and medieval atmosphere, and the second floor with 19th century decoration.

If you sign up for the special visit to the castle, you will be able to see the interior of the spectacular tower that extends from the rocky base to the upper terrace.

• What to see in Amboise

Maintenon Castle 

In a route through the Loire ValleyThere are several well-known castles that receive hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, but in this region of central France there are other less popular castles that will nevertheless surprise you with their charm when you visit them.

El Chateau de Maintenon, is one of the most charming that we have known, with its beautiful architecture that also combines the medieval and Renaissance style, and the beautiful gardens and canals that surround it.

It is a not too large castle whose exterior image you will love.

In addition, it is surrounded by beautiful gardens and canals, which creates a scene of great charm and beauty.

When visiting the interior you will find all its wings very well decorated with objects and furniture from the 20th century.

This castle is often overlooked because it is very close to Paris, but it is the ideal castle to see as the first stop on the route just after leaving the French capital, or as the last castle on the route upon returning.

Montsoreau Castle

>Located between the cities of Angers and Tours, it is the only castle on the riverbed Loire river, which houses a Contemporary Art Museum.

Cheverny Castle

This spectacular renaissance castle was the one who inspired Hergé to draw the Moulinsart Castle, hence it is known as Tintin's castle.

Chateau de Valencay

Built in 1540, when visiting this Loire Valley castle It is impossible not to marvel at its fantastic exhibitions, its imposing façade or its 53 hectares of gardens.

Royal Abbey of Fontevraud

Built in the 12th century, it was for a long time a monastery where monks and nuns resided.

In this ancient abbey you can currently enjoy a museum of modern art, a hotel and a restaurant with one Michelin star.

Castle of Saumur

On the visit to the castle of the small town of Saumur, you will discover incredible corridors, intricate stairs, or a watchtower that will make you feel like you are in a fairy tale.