7 Castles of the Loire Valley

Located in between the two French regions of Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire is the vast Loire valley stretching over 480 kilometres.

The Loire Valley is famous for its picturesque castles beautiful wine and impressive gardens. UNESCO chose the Loire Valley as a World Heritage site in 2000, citing its “exceptional cultural landscape, of great beauty.” The best way to discover this beautiful region is to beautiful Loire Valley castles along the way. Here are 7 châteaux you can’t miss on a tour through Pays de la Loire. With just over 250km you can see all 7 of these beautiful Loire Castles

1.Château de Saumur

Listed as a historical monument since 1862, the Château de Saumur has long belonged to the counts and dukes of Anjou. Located between Angers and Tours, this building offers an exceptional panorama of the Loire valley.

2.Château de Langeais

Continue 50 kilometers on your way to the next stop at Château de Langeais. This castle sports a drawbridge and dungeon, and beautiful rooms  that are sure to bring you back to the middle ages.

3.Château de Villandry

10 kilometers to the east is the Château de Villandry. It boast beautifully colourful and fragrant gardens, Renaissance architecture and a few surprises await you for its 500th anniversary.

4. Château de Valençay

Located about forty kilometers from Bourges you can find the beautiful grounds of Château de Valençay. Rich with more than 50 hectares, this building decorated with sumptuous gardens, is a classified historic building since 1992.The furniture, paintings and interior design seem to give the impression that the castle is still inhabited. What do you think from the image?

5. Château de Chambord

A few kilometers to the north, you can find the famous Château de Chambord. Over the years this building has established itself as a work of art.

How? Perhaps because of its rich history, by its luxurious rooms or because of its huge qualified forest park, Europe’s largest.

6. Château de Blois

About fifteen kilometers from Chambord you can set your eyes on the lavish Château de Blois. It’s no surprise that this castle has long been a residence for French Kings over the centuries.

7.Château de Cheverny

To finish our selection of castles of the Loire, we recommend the Castle of Cheverny. The estate is bequeathed from generation to generation and the interior is full of surprises.

It was also the castle that inspired Hergé, the creator of Tintin to draw the famous Moulinsart castle. For fans of comics, you will discover more than 700m² dedicated to the universe of the fictional character.

To recap see this loire valley map with the route for the 7 castles!

If you’re interested to discover the loire castles on a road trip through the loire valley consider hiring a motorhome from locals in France to explore this amazing region in comfort and style. For more info see yescapa.co.uk.