They adorn the banks of the river like jewels on the arm of a princess.
The castles of the Loire, for the most part built or renovated during the Renaissance to compete with the finesse of Italian art, have begun their deconfinement.
Visits resumed with the necessary sanitary arrangements (respect of a gauge equivalent to 8 m² per visitor in May and 4 m² in June, direction of visit arranged and possibility of booking tickets online ...) and without the usual international tourist pressure .
The opportunity to rediscover in calm and under the beautiful light of spring these jewels of French heritage.
Here is a selection of these monuments, witnesses of a time when military equipment was replaced by aesthetic ornaments.
Read also: The châteaux of the Loire, heralds of the reopening
Amboise, elevated elegance
Perched 40 meters above the water at the confluence of the Amasse and the Loire, the Château d'Amboise became a royal residence during the reign of Charles VIII at the end of the 15th century.
The sovereigns gradually transform the old medieval stronghold into a sumptuous royal palace.
Among the illustrious guests of the castle such as Catherine de Médicis, François Ier or Jean de la Fontaine, one of them still resides there.
It is about Leonardo da Vinci, whose tomb is in the Saint-Hubert Chapel, within the walls of the palace.
The royal castle of Amboise opens its doors on May 19.
To know.
Wearing a mask is compulsory from 11 years old.
The "Histopads" are automatically sterilized after each use thanks to germicidal ultraviolet rays.
Château Royal d'Amboise, Montée de l'Emir Abd el Kader, 37400 Amboise.
From 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., open every day until May 25, then only on weekends and public holidays.
Admission: € 13.10 (7-18 years old: € 9).
Le Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci's lair
Today, the Château du Clos Lucé retraces the life of the Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci.
David Brown / Adobe Stock
Located a few meters from the royal castle of Amboise, the Château du Clos Lucé welcomed Leonardo da Vinci for the last years of his life. At the invitation of Francis I, the painter moved there with three of his masterpieces: The Mona Lisa, The Virgin, the Child Jesus and Saint Anne and the Saint John the Baptist. Today, the castle traces the life of the Italian genius. The pieces are reconstructed there as in the artist's time, while the garden illustrates the influence of nature on his work. The park is filled with avant-garde inventions of Leonardo: tank, aerial screw or double span bridge 20 meters high. If the park has been open since May 3, the castle will welcome visitors again from May 19.
Namely
.
In addition to physical distancing and the wearing of a compulsory mask, online payment is favored with the exceptional use of time-stamped tickets.
Three guided tours per day for small groups of 29 visitors are organized but only in the park.
Château du Clos Lucé - Leonardo da Vinci Park, 2, rue du Clos-Lucé, 37400 Amboise.
Phone.
: 02 47 57 00 73. Open from 9 am to 6 pm.
Admission: € 17 (6-18 years old: € 12).
Azay-le-Rideau, icon of the French Renaissance
A subtle alliance of French traditions and innovative decorations from Italy, Azay-le-Rideau is an icon of the new art of building in the Loire Valley in the 16th century.
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Built on an island in the middle of the Indre by Gilles Berthelot, treasurer of the finances of François 1er and mayor of Tours, and his wife Philippa Lesbahy, between 1518 and 1527, Azay-le-Rideau is the archetype of the pleasure castle. Influenced by the Italian Renaissance with its two large angled house sections, the house, crisscrossed with horizontal bands, is reflected in the waters of the river. Around the dormer windows, the sculpted decorations abound with heterogeneous elements borrowed both from Antiquity and from the religious register. The monumental staircase leads to the first floor to the "great hall" which hosted balls and feasts. The mantel of the fireplace is adorned with a trompe-l'oeil salamander and the famous motto of François 1er: "
Nutrisco et extinguo
"," I feed on it and I turn it off ".
The castle and the park which surrounds it benefited from a vast restoration program between 2014 and 2017. These works have made it possible to restore all its brilliance to this iconic monument of the Loire Valley and to a whole new tour route.
We are also going back there on May 19 for its formidable exhibition on Renaissance portraits.
To know.
With a limited number of visitors and an adapted circuit.
Wearing a mask is compulsory in the monument from 11 years old.
Booking of the visiting time slot is compulsory, including free tickets and “partnership” prices.
Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, 19, rue Balzac, 37190 Azay-le-Rideau.
Phone.
: 02 47 45 42 04. Open every day from 9:30 am to 6 pm.
And until 7 p.m. from July 1 to August 31.
Individual price: 11.5 €.
Group rate: € 9.
The Château d'Ussé, the legend of
Sleeping Beauty
Nicknamed the castle of "Sleeping Beauty", the castle of Ussé was built from the 15th to the 18th century, on the banks of the Indre.
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Coming from the Loire, this fairy-tale castle leaning against the hillside stands out against the landscape against a backdrop of greenery.
Legend has it that this forest of towers and chimneys inspired Charles Perrault to write
Sleeping Beauty.
. Below the monument, French gardens were designed by Le Nôtre, admired in particular by Chateaubriand when he visited his friend, the Duchess of Duras. Under the castle, dug in the Touraine tuffeau, cellars and underground passages add to the magic of the place. In particular, there is a small chapel dedicated to Saint Vincent, the patron saint of winegrowers. In the park, a Renaissance chapel was built in the 16th century and set up as a collegiate church in 1538. This year, a major exhibition on fashion between the two wars, allows you to admire the sartorial fantasies of the Roaring Twenties on life-size mannequins.
To know.
The Château d'Ussé will reopen on May 21.
Wearing a mask is compulsory for visitors over 11 years old.
Physical distancing is ensured by a one-way visit.
Château d'Ussé, 37420 Rigny-Ussé.
Phone.
: 02 47 95 54 05. Open every day from 10 am to 7 pm (until 6 pm from October to March).
Closed in winter.
Adult (+ 16 years old): € 14.
Child from 8 to 16 years old: 5 €.
Child (- 8 years old): free.
Chinon, rendezvous with history
At the crossroads of Anjou, Poitou and Touraine, the royal fortress of Chinon is a unique medieval testimony in the Loire Valley.
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On the limestone hillside which forms a promontory dominating the Vienne river, an enclosure has been standing since the Iron Age. Today, the oldest visible parts of the castle date from the reconstruction ordered by the Count of Blois in the 11th century. Reorganized many times, notably by Philippe Auguste, who conquered the castle after a siege of several months, the castle was enlarged and reinforced before being gradually forgotten, to such an extent that it became a stone quarry during the Revolution. . Very ingeniously renovated, the castle can be visited with a lot of technology for once very well used. Children love it and the whole family lets go to imagine the heyday of this monumental enclosure, witness to the decisive meeting between Joan of Arc and Charles VII.
Royal Fortress of Chinon, 2 rue du château, 37500 Chinon.
Phone.
: 02 47 93 13 45. Full price: 10.50 €.
Child aged 7 to 18 and students: € 8.50.
Free for children under 7 and job seekers.
Open every day.
May 1 - August 31: 9:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
January - February - November - December: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
March - April and September - October: 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Chenonceau, a bridge over the river
Also called the Chateau des Dames, Chenonceau is considered the jewel of the Loire châteaux.
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A Renaissance masterpiece, the castle rests on the arches of a bridge built by Philibert de l'Orme. A covered gallery, 60 meters long, erected by Catherine de Médicis, overlooks the Cher, a languid river and tributary of the Loire. The plan of the castle follows an orthogonal layout. The so-called room of the five queens (the two daughters and the three beautiful daughters of Catherine de Medici) is richly decorated and houses tapestries from Oudenaarde or Flanders but also paintings signed by Murillo, Poussin, Rubens, Véronèse or Van, among others. Dyck. But in Chenonceau, the show is also outside with the flower beds of Diane de Poitiers, French-style pleasure gardens composed around the basin but also made up of an orchard and a vegetable garden.
To know.
The castle and gardens will remain closed until the end of May, opening scheduled for June.
In the meantime, a virtual tour of the Domaine de Chenonceau is presented on the website.
Château de Chenonceau, 37150 Chenonceau.
Phone.
: 0820 20 90 90. Open from Friday to Monday from 10 am to 5 pm, then until 6 pm from July.
Individual price: 15 €.
Reduced price 12 €.
Free for children under 7 years old.
Read also: Behind the scenes of the Chanel show in Chenonceau
Blois, three wings, three atmospheres
The castle of Blois and its facades of Gothic, Renaissance and classical styles.
Elie / Adobe Stock
Who knows how many shenanigans have heard the walls of the rooms of the royal castle of Blois? Henri IV or Marie de Médicis, during their stay, certainly imagined some of them. From May 19, you can once again visit the castle and its Gothic, Renaissance and Classical facades. On condition of course to put on a mask and to respect distance and direction of movement. Good news for visitors, after the procrastination of the first confinement, the one-way route has been made permanent and all the rooms of the castle can now be visited. You can also climb the monumental staircase again and take guided tours.
To know.
A thermal camera is used to take the temperature of visitors and check whether they are wearing their masks.
Wearing a mask is compulsory for all visitors over the age of 11 and guided tours are restricted to groups of 20 people.
Royal Castle of Blois, 6, place du Château 41000 Blois.
Phone.
: 02 54 90 33 33. Open every day, only in the afternoon (until June 2).
Admission: € 17 (6-17 years: € 6.50).
Chambord, modernity in majesty
The Château de Chambord reopens all of its spaces on May 19, with the exception of the audiovisual room on the ground floor.
aterrom / Adobe Stock
Placed on the first list of historical monuments in France in 1840, UNESCO world heritage since 1981, Chambord is surely the most famous of the Loire châteaux. Surrounded by a perimeter wall, 32 kilometers long, by a forest, gardens, vineyards, vegetable gardens and stables, the castle is a monumental architectural work, imagined by François 1er to magnify French diplomacy. Both geometric and whimsical, massive and subtle, the building houses a rich collection of paintings, tapestries, furniture and works of art. More than sixty pieces are open to visitors and a collection of 4,500 works of art to discover in superbly furnished apartments. But the show is also outside, in the area where it doesIt is not uncommon to come across a large deer or in gardens that have recently regained their luster with the planting of over 600 trees, 800 shrubs and 200 rose bushes. A world apart, an immersive dive into the French Renaissance.
To know.
Reopening of the castle on May 19.
Wearing a mask is compulsory for visitors over 11 years old.
Physical distancing is ensured by a one-way visit.
Online payment is preferred with the setting up of time-stamped tickets on the domain's website.
Château de Chambord, 41250 Chambord.
Phone.
: 02 54 50 40 00. Open every day.
From January 2 to March 27: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
From March 28 to October 25: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
From October 26 to December 31: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Full price: € 14.50 (castle + gardens).
Reduced price: 12 €.
Free for under 18s, 18-25 EU residents, people with disabilities, job seekers.
Loches, the beautiful Middle Ages
A dungeon 39 meters high overlooks the royal residence of Loches.
Yuriy Brykaylo
Residence of Joan of Arc and Francis I, the Royal City of Loches reconciles the feudal era with the Renaissance. A dungeon 39 meters high, among the best preserved from the Romanesque period, overlooks the royal residence, a jewel of Gothic architecture. A museum now inhabits what was one of the favorite residences of the Valois dynasty, while a soothing medieval-inspired garden has flourished at the foot of the keep. As for the children, they set off to explore the city thanks to the playful booklet “Emeline and Amaury”. Visitors are welcome again from May 19.
To know.
Wearing a mask is compulsory for over 11s.
Hydroalcoholic gel dispensers, markings on the ground and one-way visit ensure compliance with barrier gestures.
"Express" guided tours indoors and outdoors at fixed times as well as an immersive tour of the dungeon are organized to allow you to fully enjoy the richness of the place.
Royal city of Loches, 5, place Charles-VII, 37600 Loches.
Phone.
: 02 47 19 18 08. Open every day from 9:30 am to 5 pm.
Admission: € 10.5 (7-18 years old: € 8.5).
Chaumont-sur-Loire, the quiet charm
The Chaumont-sur-Loire International Garden Festival has brought together every year since 1992, in part of the Estate, a selection of landscape creations related to a particular theme.
Jeantrekkeur - stock.adobe.com
Burned and razed by Louis XI in 1465, the castle of Chaumont-sur-Loire is transformed into a jewel of the Renaissance. From 1560, Diane de Poitiers added to the sculptures that had come to decorate the facades the round paths of the entrance gatehouse and of the Saint-Nicolas tower. The castle takes its current form with the destruction of the north wing, which opens up a viewpoint over the Loire. Every year since 1992, the International Garden Festival of Chaumont-sur-Loire brings together in part of the 32 hectares of the estate a selection of landscape creations related to a particular theme. The castle, meanwhile, will open its doors on May 19.
To know.
Wearing a mask is compulsory indoors for visitors over 11 and is strongly recommended outdoors.
A route is planned to avoid the crossing of people in the parks and gardens.
The restaurants, them, remain closed.
Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, 41150 Chaumont-sur-Loire.
Phone.
: 02 54 20 99 22. Admission: € 19 (12-18 years old: € 12).
Villandry, the flowered estate
In the heart of the Loire Valley, the castle and gardens of Villandry welcome the public all year round.
rysan34 - stock.adobe.com
After having managed the Chambord site for several years, Jean le Breton acquired the domain of Villandry in 1532. François I's secretary decided to build a Renaissance castle there. He had the old medieval building razed to the ground, with the exception of the keep against which three dwellings were erected in the shape of a horseshoe. Medieval heritages and Italian influences are evacuated in favor of a purely French symmetrical style. Outside, large gardens adjoin the facades of the castle. The ornamental garden, an extension of the interior lounges, the vegetable garden, the water garden and the sun garden created at the beginning of the 20th century.
To know.
Visitors could already walk the flowered paths of the garden.
The château can be visited while respecting social distancing.
Wearing a mask is compulsory in the castle, and strongly recommended in the gardens, while the purchase of tickets online is preferred.
Château de Villandry, 3, rue Principale, 37510 Villandry.
Phone.
: 02 47 50 02 09. Open every day from 9:30 am to 6 pm.
Entrance to the castle and garden: € 12.
Gardens only: € 7.5 (8 to 18 years old: € 7 and € 5).