Chenonceau Travel Guide

 
by shrimp56
 
  •   Chenonceau
    by shrimp56
  • My guide book in the Valley of Loire
      My guide book in the Valley of Loire
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Map of the Valley
      Map of the Valley
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Chenonceau
      Chenonceau
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
  • Chenonceau
      Chenonceau
    by Kuznetsov_Sergey
 

Pro

vinc_bilb profile photo

 Gardens, casttle, paints ... a lof of elegant jewels 


Con

black_mimi99 profile photo

 Too many tourist in high season 


In a nutshell

black_mimi99 profile photo

 Chateau with ladies Touch 

 

Explore Chenonceau

Things to Do  

Chenonceau ,the castle

Chenonceau ,the castle, Chenonceau

 gwened Says:  a lovely castle in addition to my other tip had some photos left, this is a must when in the loire valley, a fine castle perfectly built and great historical anecdotes of France, many already written in VT so wont repeat here.briefBuilt in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet,... 

Château de Chenonceau: Through the Windows

Château de Chenonceau: Through the Windows, Chenonceau

 von.otter Says:  “Queen of White Injury”— said of Louise de Lorraine (1553-1601), widow of Henri IIIFollowing her husband’s assassination, Louise of Lorraine was inconsolable in her grief; she withdrew to Chateau de Chenonceau, where she staying when her husband was killed on 2.August.1589.... 

Cher (river)

Cher (river), Chenonceau

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  The Château de Chenonceau situated on the Cher River which is a left tributary to the river Loire. The river suffered a devastating flood in 1940, which damaged Château de Chenonceau, which spans the river, and other structures along the banks.Alongside the river, in the... 

Diane de Poitiers' & Catherine de' Medici' gardens

Diane de Poitiers' & Catherine de' Medici' gardens, Chenonceau

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  On the right you will see Diane de Poitiers' garden. Its the entrance is overlooked by the Steward's house: La Chancellerie. It was built in the 16th century.This garden is protected from flooding by the Cher by elevated terraces from which there are beautiful views over the... 

Chateau de Chenonceau

Chateau de Chenonceau, Chenonceau

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  The Chateau de Chenonceau is a manor house in Loire Valley. It was built on the site of an old mill on the River Cher, sometime before its first mention in writing in the 11th century.There is a set of the most improbable histories connected with a name of Diana de Poitiers:... 

Chateau - Bedroom of Diane de Poitiers

Chateau - Bedroom of Diane de Poitiers, Chenonceau

 Maria81 Says:  Right across the hallway from the bedroom of King Francois I is the bedroom of King Henry II's favourite - Diane de Poitiers. Her big four-poster bed, covered with blue velvet, is still there - and there is another of the huge white fireplaces in this room, although more... 

Chateau - Bedroom of Francois I

Chateau - Bedroom of Francois I, Chenonceau

 Maria81 Says:  Also accessible from the Hall (second room on the right hand side when you go in) is the bedroom of King Francois I who has stayed at the Chenonceau castle several times. Remarkably, there was no bed in it - but there is period furniture and paintings (mostly portraits of... 

Chateau - The Chapel

Chateau - The Chapel, Chenonceau

 Maria81 Says:  A passage leads from the Guards' Room into the Chapel. The Chapel escaped the devastation that befell a lot of religious buildings during the French Revolution when it was turned into storage for fire wood. Today religious objects are, of course, back. For me, the highlight... 

Chateau - The Guards' Room

Chateau - The Guards' Room, Chenonceau

 Maria81 Says:  One of the first rooms you see after you pass the hall, the Guards' Room was originally used by soldiers designated for royal protection. It still features the original stone carvings on the doorways, as well as religious statuary. The centerpiece is the large stone... 

Visit the town of Chenonceaux

Visit the town of Chenonceaux, Chenonceau

 Beausoleil Says:  For some reason unknown to me, the town is Chenonceaux and the chateau is Chenoceau. I'd love to know the reason but until someone enlightens me, it's a French mystery.Update: Fellow VT members told me that the owner of the chateau changed the name during the Revolution... 

The Kitchen

The Kitchen, Chenonceau

 black_mimi99 Says:  The kitchen are located in the 2 enormous basses forming the 1st two piers built in the bed of the river cher.the kitchen is amazing, I love the kitchen room... have 2 dining room, for inhabitants of the Castle, and for the staff of the Castle. 

Hotels  

La Roseraie

 1 Review and 316 Opinions  Words cannot describe the pleasure that I felt at this hotel! The owners are AMAZING, the area... 

Restaurants  

Snack Bar: Just outside of the gates..

Snack Bar: Just outside of the gates.., Chenonceau

 Herkbert Says:  Located near the ticket office, the snack bar is a great place to grab a quick sandwich, salad or ice cream and a beverage before or after touring the chateau.The food was fresh, good and reasonable priced, not to mention conveniently located.There are picnic tables... 

La Roseraie: BEST MEAL EVER!!!

La Roseraie: BEST MEAL EVER!!!, Chenonceau

 midwesttrvlr Says:  We were fortunate enough to stay at this lovely B&B, so just walking down our stairs to a wonderful outdoor patio was great for that night's dinner! We were served by the 2 owners of the hotel and they gave us their honest opinion on what to order - wonderful!We were... 

Transportation  

train travel n the region

train travel n the region, Chenonceau

 gwened Says:  yes regular train is from center of Tours,near the mairie de Tours,and have TER trains to Chenonceaux ,the town(the castle is Chenonceau, a woman twist).its easy, but the car is king lol!!!http://www.ter-sncf.com/regions/centre/fr/default.aspxthe trainhope it helps 

Car, Train, Bus

Car, Train, Bus, Chenonceau

 black_mimi99 Says:  The Castle is located in Touraine on the Cher River’s bank and is 214 kms from Paris and 34 kms from Tours.From Paris, the duration of the trip is: two hours by car via motorway A10 known as the Aquitaine (exit Blois or Amboise) one hour by TGV from Paris-Montparnasse to... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Specific restrictions inside the château

Specific restrictions inside the château, Chenonceau

 vinc_bilb Says:  Just be aware that:Disabled people access: The gardens and the castle's ground floor only are equipped with accesses for the disabled people.Flash are not allowed inside the chateau 

Tourist Traps  

Quantity or Quality?

Quantity or Quality?, Chenonceau

 vinc_bilb Says:  (Similar tourist trap than in Chateau of Chambord)Not really a trap but I saw some tourists making a very short visit of the castle, shooting some photo's, going to the souvenir shops and ... moving to the next castle.It's not a race and I recommend to stay enough time in... 

What to Pack  

My guide books in Chenonceau
Kuznetsov_Sergey profile photo

2 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

Kuznetsov_Sergey 4500 reviews
My guide book in the Valley of Loire
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Miscellaneous: Here are my guide books that provided me details about a geographic location, tourist attractions, or most interesting itineraries in Chenonceau.
Casa Editrice Bonechi – Italy. “The Golden Book”. Châteaux of the Loire Valley. 1995, 128 pages.
France. Le Petit Fute. Michel Strogoff & Ass., City-Guides, Country-Guides, Paris-Luxemburg-Moscow. 1999, 64 pages.
France. Polyglott Verlag GmbH, Munchen, 1993, 96 pages.
Around the World. France. Second edition. Publisher "Around the World", 2005, 544 pages. 79 cities, 168 museums, 300 churches and cathedrals, 22 Castles, 50 maps, 200 illustrations.

Written May 1, 2012

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Favorites  

Chenonceau museum

Chenonceau museum, Chenonceau

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  General informationOpening hours:From January 1st to February 10th 9H30 - 17H00From February 11th to March 11th 9H30 - 18H00From March 12th to March 31st 9H30 - 18H00From April 1st to May 31st 9H00 - 19H00From June 1st to June 30th 9H00 - 19H30From July 1st to August 31st... 

INTRODUCTION - BRIEF HISTORY

INTRODUCTION - BRIEF HISTORY, Chenonceau

 vinc_bilb Says:  IntroductionChenonceau is one of the most impressive Renaissance Chateau and certainly the most romantic in the Loire valley.It is the private ancient memorial the most visited by France, set by several pleasure gardens, parc and a wine growing estate.Château des Dames as... 

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Map of Chenonceau