A new day began and I woke up quite early. I woke up at 8 am, which is unusual and strange for me. The reason I woke up early was because my friend and I were going to visit the castles in the Loire Valley. That was also the purpose of our visit to this beautiful city of Orléans last summer...
The first castle we were going to visit, Château de Chambord belongs to France’s first king, François. Some people know him as Francis. I don't know why they call him Francis instead of François. Anyway this was the first castle we visited. It took us about 45 minutes to reach it. We had a guided tour there and it was starting at 11:00, so we had to arrive on time.
French King François lived in this castle and according to legend, the king had many mistresses. His biggest fear was that his mistresses would meet each other. So when one of them left their room, the other wasn’t supposed to be going upstairs. As a result the stairs leading up and down were designed by Leonardo da Vinci. These stairs were designed in such a way that one person going up would never meet the one coming down and they couldn’t see each other. Of course, this is just a legend. I was curious whether this was true or not and it became one of the questions I asked our guide.
The weather was good for us. Rain and cold were expected, but there was sunshine. We had a little setback. We realized we had forgotten our wallet and we quickly had to go back and get it. Fortunately we made it to our guided tour in time. We arrived at the castle and decided to wander around a little before the tour started. There’s an impressive atmosphere inside the castle, with interesting details like deer antlers on the walls. Our guide showed and explained everything to us. Afterward we explored the castle on our own.
On our way to the castle, we passed many interesting places. But unfortunately, we couldn’t take a photo because we were in a hurry. When we arrived, they gave us special badges to attach to our clothes. Everyone takes these badges and then the group starts the tour together.
Among Leonardo da Vinci's many ideas this luxury castle project was one of them. However, his death in 1519 prevented him from witnessing the completion of this project. The construction of the castle began in 1526, so Leonardo couldn’t be personally involved in the project. Still some of his ideas were implemented. The unique spiral staircase in the center of the castle, which I mentioned earlier, reflects his thoughts. This staircase is designed in two separate spirals, with arms that never touch each other. Thus people going up and down do not meet each other.
In Leonardo’s original design, there was a more complex staircase with four separate arms. However, this idea was simplified due to his early death. Even so, this version had a significant impact on everyone at the time.
I separated a bit from the group and went outside to enjoy the beautiful views. Luckily it wasn’t too crowded. there were only many student groups. This made it possible to take photos comfortably.
We came to a hall where modern paintings were exhibited. One of them was quite interesting. People were carving messages on the walls even back then, like Let our beautiful king be praised.
We went up to the top of the castle and from here, a beautiful view appeared. Below there’s a river or a pond. Finally, we started exploring the rooms, which had furniture and paintings. The view from the towers of the castle is beautiful. Although the weather wasn’t ideal for us, at least it wasn’t raining.
Then we went to the King's room. The bed was very small. Everything was very simple and monotonous. The walls, curtains, bed and even the bedding were all the same color. They told us that François I was only 1.60 meters tall, so it might make sense for him to sleep in such a small bed.
There was a small study. A desk and floral patterns on the walls were noticeable. But I can't say I particularly liked it. There was another small room. Here night pots, clothes and a musical instrument were kept. We moved to the bedroom, where there was a larger bed. They called it the Princess's bed. We came to the middle of the spiral staircase and from here, everywhere was filled with deer antlers. The antlers were real, but the heads weren’t. Poor deer... The king loved hunting and they had created a room for the animals he hunted here.
We finished the visit. This castle was built in exactly 150 years, but the main part where the kings lived was completed in 20 years. François I was the first to live here, but he actually came here very rarely. He mostly used it for hunting or to host important guests. Since it was very difficult to heat the castle, he didn’t live here for long. There were many fireplaces, but they didn’t work. However, since the castle had a modern and complex structure for its time, the king invited his guests here to showcase his power and architectural skills.
The rooms on the lower floor were identical. No matter who you were, whether a king or a prince, everyone stayed in the same rooms. Each room had a main room and three small service rooms. After François I the castle passed to his son Henri. Henri made some modifications, but after that, no one showed much interest in the castle and it was abandoned for a long time. Later, during the reign of Louis, the castle was restored and regained interest. Therefore it is possible to see traces of different periods in the castle's architecture.
I think the exterior of the castle is much more beautiful than the interior. It was really impressive when I saw it from a distance, but the inside was a bit disappointing. Maybe it looks this way because the other rooms haven't been restored. The castle is really cold. I felt chilly inside. So living here didn’t seem appealing at all.
There is a 32 km long wall around the castle and this area is entirely dedicated to hunting. This castle was not really a living space but more of a showpiece for hunting and hosting guests. Later I looked at the souvenirs. There was a book for 9 euros with the history of the castle. I decided to buy it as a keepsake.
An hour later, we arrived at our second stop, Chenonceau castle. At one point this castle belonged to Catherine de Medici. The difference between this park and the previous one is that here, the parking lot is free, which is much nicer. The second good part is that if you have a student card, you can benefit from the student rate regardless of your age. Whether you are 33 or 90, you can enter with a student card.
There was also a garden made entirely of roses. The castle could be seen from a distance. There was a very beautiful tree-lined path along the way. The castle is built over water, in an aqueduct style and is beautiful. There are flower beds and patterns made with stones in the garden. There were fewer people here compared to the other castle.
After visiting the two castles, we decided to sit at a café since the weather had improved. We wanted to feel like royalty and bought a bottle of red wine. It cost 12 euros.
We took photos in the garden with the castle in the background. I liked this castle more than the other one. The inside is much more organized, the furniture is in place and there is much to see. And the castle is very green and full of flowers. I learned that the castle is called The Castle of Women because most of its owners were women. Some kings gifted or left this castle as inheritance to women.
During World War II one side of the castle was occupied by the Germans, while the other side was a free zone. The owner of the castle helped Jews and refugees pass into the unoccupied area by opening a door at night without the Germans knowing. This story was written on a plaque in the gallery that tells the history of the castle.
The castle also has a maze built at the request of Catherine de Medici. According to rumors, Catherine used to have secret meetings here with her lovers or agents. If you get lost in the maze, you can follow the right wall to reach the exit. However, this maze is more decorative and it’s not really easy to get lost.
After the maze we went to see the animals at a nearby farm. There was a section where old cars were displayed. Among the exhibited cars were some from the 1830s-1880s. There were also ponies carriages, wheelbarrows and other farm tools for children. There was even a hospital cart.
I definitely recommend visiting this castle. It is a very impressive and enjoyable place to explore. If you need to choose, you can put Chenonceau castle at the top of your list.
There is also a fountain in the castle, with a pond where swans and ducks swim. As an interesting piece of information, the castle was once used as a military hospital. It was probably during World War I because there are photos and items from that period in the exhibition. For example, hospital beds, blood collection tubes and old X-ray machines are on display. And there is a large pomegranate shell and other medical equipment in the exhibition.
In the garden of the castle there is a vegetable garden. Various plants like watermelon, melon, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries are grown there. The flowers are also beautifully arranged. You can also see the plants grown in greenhouses.
In one section of the garden, there is a place called The Donkey Path. There are signs with the names of donkeys: Calypso, Marcos and many others. However, the donkeys had hidden themselves in the shade, so we couldn’t see them up close. Still it was fun to watch them from a distance.
On our way back from the castle we came across a field of poppies and we couldn’t resist stopping. We walked across the wet grass to get a closer look at the poppies. The weather had cooled after the rain, but the beauty of this field made me forget about the cold. The bright red of the poppies looked magnificent among the endless greenery. It’s impossible to fully capture this beauty in photos, but being there was wonderful.
This was the first day of our holiday and it was a very fulfilling day. With castles, gardens and these unique natural views, it was an unforgettable day. I hope this post has been enjoyable for you as well. See you in new blogs...