Loire Valley: Where Castles Abound

Blois Castle

Blois Castle

Entrance to Chambord Castle

From our short stay in the Mediterranean town of Cassis in southern France, we headed to Blois where the famous Loir river runs through. The reason why we were visiting Blois is not because of the river cruise but because the number of castles built along the Loire River hundreds of years ago. Loire Valley spans 280 km and is situated in the Loire River.

Rivers or any form of water provide good transportation for people then and now. I suppose that the monarchs or aristocrats in the 13th century strategically built those castles there because of accessibility since this river empties at the English Channel.

The first castle that I visited was the Blois Castle. It is situated in the heart of the city over-looking the Loire. From there, one could see the primary colors of the city which are represented by the roof, walls and bricks of the buildings there.

Driving westward along the banks of Loire and crossing one of the bridges, one will find the Chambord Castle. The entrance fee per person was around 10 euros which would give a visitor access to the castle and its stables. I am not so sure, but I think the garden was excluded. It costs an extra fee.

The gate to the castle opens at 10 AM and I recommend to have your breakfast before going there because food around the area was expensive and it's a long way up to the castle which is situated on top of a hill. Once you reached the top, you will be greeted by a beautiful garden and big pine trees. Walking past these pine trees, the Castle will surprise you with is beautiful facade.For me, it looks more beautiful than the Blois Castle. Just like in the olden time, a bridge has to be laid down in order to gain access to the castle. It was like in a fairy tale land!

Chambord Castle had furniture inside. The display inside each room showed how the aristocrats lived during that time. It was elegant and superflous, I should say.

We could have stayed much longer, but there are more castle awaiting us.

Tip: If you want to see all the castles in Loire Valley, allot at least a week. There are so many castles in that region and visiting a castle including its rooms and garden requires at least half-a-day already.