Chateau de Chambord: Castles of the Loire Valley

As we drove up to it, we were treated to glimpses of the chateau in the distance, very different to most visitor attractions, where they save those sort of scenes until you actually reach your destination. To understand Chambord fully, you need to appreciate its history. It was started by King Francois I in the early 16th century, who wanted to showcase the loves of his life, hunting, and architecture. The first love highlighted why this location was chosen, near the forest, which was rich with game.

Nothing was too much for the King and hence, Leonardo da Vinci, who came up with the original idea, was employed to work on the chateau, although sadly he died a few months before construction started. During the next 20 years, 1,800 men worked on the towers and terraces, creating a real masterpiece.

Sadly, despite the fact that Francois I started the chateau, he only stayed there for a few weeks to do his hunting, and every time he left, he took all his furniture with him, and by the time of his death, the chateau was still unfinished. The chateau was only finally completed in the reign of King Louis XIV in the late 17th century.

France - Chateau de Chambord
Outside the Chateau de Chambord. - photo by chezp

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As you enter, we couldn't help but stop to take in the sight of the impressive array of towers that top this chateau. Suddenly, looking at the ornate designs on them, you could see why it took so many years and so many men to build this place. One of the highlights was to be our visit to the rooftop, where as well as seeing the forest sprawling below, we could see all the workmanship up close. This must be a real nightmare to keep in a good condition, and certainly I know that the job of restoration is one that never ends here.

As we headed inside the chateau, the first thing that immediately caught my attention was the unique grand staircase. It winds its way all the way up to the third floor, which gives you access to the rooftop, and is the main way of getting between the various different floors. What makes it unique is the fact that it's a double staircase, meaning there are actually two different staircases snaking their way around each other. You can enter at two different points, and whichever one you choose, you'll never meet anyone who's going up or down on the other side. It's exceptionally clever, and is a very good use of the space of a staircase. Instead of the usual dead space you get underneath one, here one staircase almost interlocks the other, getting rid of that problem. I'm surprised we don't see more of these elsewhere.

The influence of hunting can be seen throughout the chateau, with giant pictures, in golden frames in the ground floor Hall of Suns, which served as a living room. Heading to the first floor, you find the royal wing, including the rooms built for Francois I. The tapestries, and intricate ceilings, and doors in here are something to be seen, as is the amazing collection of furniture.

Although left unfurnished many years ago, today, it is home to many treasures. This work started more than 100 years ago, when the Count of Chambord decided to open the chateau to the public, and brought in works from his family collections. He then purchased many other items, particularly paintings, and by the time the state finally came to own the chateau in 1930, it finally had the many works of arts that it deserved.

The chateau is nowhere near as grand as some of the other famous sights in France, and pales into comparison when you think of the Chateau of Versailles, which really was the height of extravagance. However, in a way that's part of Chambord's appeal, as you can imagine real people living here over the years. Some rooms underwent conversions in the 18th century to make them more comfortable, for example by lowering the ceilings. As you walked through them, they felt more intimate and I would have loved to have stayed in these, whereas at some of the grander rooms, I think I'd have been terrified of damaging anything!

If hunting does interest you, there's plenty to see on the second floor, which contains a hunting museum, along with a trophy gallery. As a non-meat eater, it didn’t do much for me, and we hurried through this section, but it certainly does take you back in time to the days of the Renaissance, when hunting was the norm.

As the weather wasn't cooperating during our visit, and threatened rain the whole time we were there, we didn't explore the surrounding estate. However, there's plenty to see, as this is the largest enclosed forest park in Europe, surrounded by a 20 mile long wall.

The Chateau de Chambord is open every day, except New Year’s Day and Christmas Day, and full details of its opening hours are on its web site at http://www.chambord.org/ Tickets are €9.50/adults and €8.00 for those aged 18-25 years old. Anyone under the age of 18, who is visiting with their family, is admitted free of charge, which does make this a good family destination. The Chateau is located about an hour and a half from Paris.



France - Chateau de Chambord
Outside the Chateau de Chambord. - photo by chezp

About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have made numerous visits to destinations across America and Europe. They recently completed their tour of every Disney theme park around the world, which culminated in their visit to Japan, including the Tokyo Disney Resort. Click here to view more of Cheryl's articles!

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Updated 03-03-2011 - Article #585 

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