One of our favorite châteaus to visit - Château d'Amboise is a royal castle in the Loire Valley in…read moreAmboise, France. Built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Loire River, it transitioned from a medieval fortress into a Renaissance palace and was a favored royal residence in the 15th and 16th centuries. The château is known for its Gothic and early Renaissance architecture and its association with notable historical figures. The history is incredible, and worth a tour with a tour guide or the self guided audio guide. One of the nicest surprises of the château, it's the Final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci: Da Vinci is buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert, located on the château grounds. I have visited three times and never get tired of seeing it!

this was very beautiful and had great views. honestly the actual chateau itself was kinda small and…read moreunderwhelming compared to others but the garden and views made up for it

One of the cutest little castles of the Loire valley, set in the forested hilltops between…read moreMontrichard and Loches. Privately owned, open to visit, it looks like a picture out of a fairy story. Be prepared for a surprise as you drive round the twists and bends, it is situated in a small valley in the most picturesque of settings. There are quite a few nice features when you visit, the courtyard and stables are worth a look. The best views of the castle are coming from Loches as you come down the hill. There is an interesting lavoirby the small river- a sheltered place where women used to do the laundry.

This chateau here is one of the most beautiful in the Loire Valley. Really picture perfect example…read moreof a fairytale castle. Easy to access with parking closeby. Public restrooms, restaurants, many exhibitions, a wonderful park with valley views and amazing gardens. Well worth the entrance fee of 20 Euros. There's lots to see and do. The castle was built as it is today in the late 15th / early 16th Century. But was originally founded in the 10th century. Protected as a monument historique since 1840, the château was given into state ownership in 1938 and is now open to the public. It belonged to the Amboise family for five centuries. Pierre d'Amboise unsuccessfully rebelled against King Louis XI and his property was confiscated, and the castle was dismantled on royal order in 1465. It was later rebuilt by Charles I d'Amboise from 1465 to 1475 and then finished by his son, Charles II d'Amboise de Chaumont. The chateau itself is such a wonderful sight. And despite many visitors it's easy possible to get some great views and pictures of it. The grounds are very big, so it never feels crowded. It's just a beautiful piece of art and history. Besides the chateau there is a wonderful park area with picnic spots, many options to sit down and rest to enjoy the views of the castle and the valley. Makes a lovely circular walk through the park. Then there are the gardens. An amazing place - with its many paths and ways it feels like a maze at times. Nice to just wander around and to get lost a bit. Wonderful trees, bushes, flowers and more. Some greenhouses as well. It's a lovely place to be and to walk around. This Chateau and grounds are really impressive. One of the best castle experiences we've had yet. You can spend easily a whole day here. Always something new to explore. And: Dogs are welcome as well here. Our Bulldog enjoyed. And so did we. Highly recommended.

This chateau is about 4.5 star. The visit need 4 hours. It is because the compound has several…read moreregions to visit. The area includes the castle, middle garden, herb garden, front garden and the stable. This chateau is established in early 10 century. Later it was burn down and rebuilt at 15 century. Later the chateau was bought by Catherine de Medici at mid 15 century. The castle is beautiful for the round tower make up the beauty of the chateau. Since it was own and decorated by Catherine de Medici, the interior decoration is beautiful. I like the creative tile floor with tapestry. There is room like library but the book is make from luminaire stone. There is a beautiful chapel in the castle. The stable is beautiful and comfortable for each horse. There are some art display in the stable. The herb garden is interesting. But the garden on the front is more beautiful. The compound actual has more buildings to explore.

The map of the grounds are a bit difficult to follow and it seemed like many parts of the chat and…read moregrounds were under renovation but we enjoyed what we saw The gardens were mostly grass but the small farm housed at least 3 peacocks, 4 donkeys, goats & ducks The directories located on the grounds only showed the immediate vicinity and not the whole map - so don't misplace your provided paper copy The offer free audio guides which is a nice touch - we did not partake however since most of the plaques were also in English Very enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours....our visit came in right at the 2 hour mark

Beautiful château with free audio tour. At the parc, there was an herb garden, animals, a…read moreplayground and a labyrinth where you could only progress by solving clues at gates, which was great fun for us. We happened upon a guided tour during our visit which greatly enhanced our knowledge of the château. I only wish the older wing would have been open, even unfurnished. It was slightly more expensive than other châteaux see have visited and we got the impression that the restaurant was not somewhere we should bring our 3 year old. The playground however was a nice addition.

Le Château Royal de Blois is an excellent example of a Val de Loire Chateau. The guided tour was…read moreslightly long, but I enjoyed getting to know more about the chateau's history and architecture. As an added plus "period" musical performers and actor provided an diversion from the tour in the main courtyard.

Blois is beautiful as is this castle but sadly 1/2 seemed to be closed off :(…read moreI am sure once it is fully open it is great, I think they were changing an exhibit... still had to pay full price. But it was the perfect thing to do in between our visit to the Magic Museum across the courtyard. (The museum closes for an hour and a half in the middle of the day just as an FYI) the castle did not have the closing restriction.

Highly recommend this vineyard and cellar tour. You get a wine tasting/pairing at the end with such…read moreunique and delicious gastronomical foods that I was blown away. Myriam, daughter in law of Alain, is super knowledgeable and friendly to the point that she even drove us to the bus stop so that we wouldn't have to pay for a taxi. I absolutely recommend this tour and unique experience!

Highly recommend this wine tour! Myriam Fouasse-Robert a family member of this family-owned…read morevineyard was so hospitable and her knowledge of Loire wines was excellent. We enjoyed a three hour "Taste of the Loire" tour that included tour of the extensive caves and the wine making process followed by wines of both the Alaine Robert wines as well as others of the Loire region. Myriam paired about 9 wines with local cheeses, charcuterie, and desserts making the tasting tour an amazing cultural and gastronomical experience. Myriam had a very professional presentation she shared as we tasted, outlining the region and many appellations of Loire and Touraine including geology that makes these white wines so beloved around the world. The sparkling wines were divine. You must do this tour!

Fantastic place. Locally sourced eggs and meat. Delicious galletes and rillon (roasted pork belly,…read morea local specialty) served in a salad. Local microbrews as well. Beats the food of the row of eateries next to the Chateau d'Amboise. Great fast service too.

I was not expecting good food in a tourist attraction but we were hungry and didnt want to go out…read moresearching for something. We ordered galettes (buckwheat crepes) at around 4pm and they happily made it for us even though it was between meal times. I got the salmon one, which was the most expensive option, yet it was still under 15 EUR. The food was delicious and the service was great. I highly recommend it.

We visited Caves Duhard between Chateau Chenonceau and Cateau Chambord and it was a great…read moreexperience. Very interesting tour and wine tasting. We purchased a case of great 2015 Bourgueil, 2016 Vouvray and a fantastic 1989 Vouvray. They delived it to New Jersey in two weeks, every bottle in perfect condition. Great place, great wine, great experience! We will be ordering more wine soon! Nous avons visité les Caves Duhard entre Château Chenonceau et Château Chambord et ce fut une expérience formidable. Visite très intéressante et dégustation de vin. Nous avons acheté une caisse de grand Bourgueil 2015, Vouvray 2016 et un fantastique Vouvray 1989. Ils l'ont livré au New Jersey en deux semaines, chaque bouteille en parfait état. Super endroit, bon vin, super expérience! Nous commanderons plus de vin bientôt!