I leave the châteaux for two weeks and I’m completely lost! They all run together into one grand building of tall rafters, woven tapestries, tiny glass window panes, stone spiral staircases, and extensive grounds. But after a bit of refreshing my mind with the pictures and studying websites, such as this, this and this, I can confidently say that this… Read More
Langeais is pronounced lawn-jay, but the J is soft, like when you say the French word for “I” — “Je.” It’s a fortress – a château-fort – located in the town of Langeais, and it was built rather quickly (it only took two years) in the XV century by a man named Bourré for King Louis XI. What’s truly remarkable… Read More
The château of Chenonceau is located near the small village of Chenonceaux. Both are pronounced shen-on-so. The parking lot and train station are located at the end of a very long alley in which the château looks like a toy castle in the distance. It’s a pleasant walk, however, with fields, streams and gardens on either side. Rumor has it that… Read More
Tours is worth the mention – less for its château and more for the medieval city’s history and location. This is the perfect place to stay if you want to visit the châteaux in the Loire because it’s in the centre of everything. We stayed in the “Château Belmont” (also called the Hotel Clarion) with a package that we got… Read More
This week we are visiting six châteaux in the Loire Valley, of which – in total – there are dozens. I will be doing a series of posts in which I highlight each château that we visit, along with the surrounding town (if noteworthy). There are the châteaux that are situated on the Loire itself – Chambord and Langeais are… Read More
Chartres is most known for it’s gothic cathedral that was built around the same time as the Notre Dame de Paris. The city is located in lower Normandy and evidence of that architecture is found everywhere. There are plenty of open spaces in the town and there are just as many hills and winding alleys. Just above is an example… Read More
