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Loire Castles trip itinerary
(Cheverny – Chenonceau – Blois – Amboise)
Week-end of the 20th and 21th of September 2008 (Français 
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Discover the delights of the Loire Valley. Chenonceau, Amboise, Blois and Cheverny open their doors and welcome you back to the time of the Kings of France.
Well known for its beautiful landscapes, lovely weather and gentle way of life, the Loire region was greatly enjoyed by the Kings of France from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century, who eagerly constructed their castles here.
Saturday’s itinerary:
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Chenonceau Castle
Chenonceau Castle, the most exquisite of the Loire castles, is the most popular historical monument in France after Versailles. Built on the river Cher, the waters reflect the unique beauty of the Renaissance architecture, Chenonceau Castle is the jewel in the Loire crown. This enchanting place, with its surrounding French gardens and park, has an aura of delicate elegance
After your unforgettable visit to the castle, you are free to explore the vast Chenonceau estate with its two famous and outstanding gardens, named after their patrons Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici.
Chenonceau is not only remarkable because of its architecture and history but also due to the wealth of its collections, the tour inside the castle will reveal Renaissance furniture, a series of tapestries from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and many revered paintings. Among the most famous being, Le Primatice, le Correge, Rubens, Le Tintoret, Rigaud, Nattier, Van Loo...
Castle Amboise gardens
The royal gardens of Amboise are original because they are inside the fortress of the castle itself. Open and over-looking the town and the Loire Valley, they have for some time now been undergoing a thorough landscaping. Created at the end of the fifteenth century by a landscape architect, a monk from Naples, the style is more reminiscent of the warmer Italian peninsular with Cyprus trees, oaks and bay trees
Blois Castle
Blois Castle is built in four sections surrounding the court, four castles, four eras, four pillars of French architecture:
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Eighteenth century Gothic style - the gothic dining room is the oldest of its kind in France;
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Flamboyant gothic style – Louis XII introduced the Renaissance style when he made Blois the royal residence and added a wing at the end of the fifteenth century;
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Sixteenth century Renaissance style - Francis I incorporated a decorative Italian architecture with the round staircase and the Loges façade;
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Seventeenth century classical architecture - the best example is the Francois Mansart dome.
Amboise
Build in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, this classically royal castle, introduced an Italian taste to the Loire Valley. The historical setting creates the perfect atmosphere for the exceptional collection of gothic and Renaissance furniture. After a visit to the royal lodgings, a walk in the beautiful panoramic gardens with Mediterranean plants is in order. In the Saint Hubert chapel, the tomb of Leonardo de Vinci has recently been elegantly restored.
Blois castle was built in a dominant position over looking the Loire and the Arrou. This location has been fortified since ancient times. Thibault the Dishonest constructed the first medieval fortress on this site in the tenth century. The Chatillon family extended it in the thirteenth century but only the state rooms remain.
The castle we see today essentially dates back to the sixteenth century, it is the work of Louis XII (North East wing) and François I (North West wing – with the famous staircase). The castle is the result of all these various extensions throughout the centuries and gives a good insight into how life used to be at Blois
Cheverny Castle
Cheverny Castle, built in the seventeenth century, was inspired by the Palais du Luxembourg. A perfect example of classical French architecture, it is also the castle which inspired Hergé’s famous Marlinspike (Moulinsart) castle in the Tintin comics.
Sunday’s itinerary :
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For more information : Contact CIJP |
Price : 96 € full payment before 11th of September 2008
which includes :
(
Definitive reservation only on full payment)
- Coach travel and transport by bus- Guided tours and entrance fees at Cheverny, Chenonceau and Blois castle.
- Accommodation in shared rooms (from 2 to 5 occupants)
- Breakfast Sunday morning
*An additional 7€ per person for double rooms
*An extra 5€ will be added to the price for all reservations after this date
Click here to see the terms of participation
pour consulter les conditions de participation
*Definitive reservation only on full payment.
Translated by Anna WHICHER