In honour of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games that are underway in Paris, France I’ve selected the historic building of Château de Chambord for today’s post. Although it is not in Paris it is an oft visited site with its elaborate architecture and flare. I have seen it myself but only from the parking lot and only for mere minutes. Soley a pit stop on a tour through the châteaux of France’s Loire Valley, I was unable to wander throughout its interior, which was huge disappointment to say the least. I became intrigued by this particular chateau after the numerous photos I had seen. I suppose I will need to return, which really, is not a bad idea at all.
Château de Chambord is the grand dame of châteaux in the Loire Valley. Set in a wooded park spanning 52.5 sq km / 13,000 acres, it is the largest in the region and an excellent example of French Renaissance architecture. Wanting an elaborate hunting getaway, work on the structure began in 1519 and saw its completion in 1547. As with many monarchs, Francis I desired the grandest of designs in an effort to showcase his power and position—and it does not disappoint. Containing 426 rooms, 282 fireplaces, 77 staircases and a famed double-helix staircase that is rumoured to be designed by Leonardo Da Vinci, it aims to impress! Through the centuries, it has experienced periods of disuse followed by periods renovations and alterations in a repeating cycle. Eventually, it saw private ownership in the 19th century and returned to state ownership in 1930. During WWII, it was used to store and protect an immense amount of public art from destruction, including Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
Today Chambord is one of the most visited châteaux in the Loire Valley. An easy day trip from Paris you can choose to enjoy a scenic drive, relax on the train to Blois and catch a shuttle bus, or book a day tour with a shuttle directly from Paris and back. A locale where you can wander the parks in search of deer, take a tour of the château to peek at the style of ages past, don modern technology for a fly over experience like no other, and visit the stables for the seasonal Horse and Bird of Prey Show will likely leave you wowed. Now I know I want to return!
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