Montrichard on the banks of the River Cher

The Loir River itself, unlike its busy big sister La Loire, is a meandering and tranquil estuary providing recreation and attractions along its route.  Boating is quite popular on the Loir, as is fishing or just hiking the numerous trails. Small villages are in abundance on the Loir, many with those fascinating troglodyte cave dwellings unique to the Loire Valley. Trôo, with probably more troglodytes than elsewhere, also offers visitors a look at its Romanesque church, Eglise de St-Martin.  The town of Montoire-sur-Loire is a fisherman's paradise, but for history buffs there is also Montoire Castle, an 11th century structure mostly in ruins.  From its keep, however, there are views of the Loir countryside as far as the castle at Lavardin.    Lavardin is a little village overshadowed by an enormous feudal castle perched on a rock outcropping. It withstood the advances of both Henry II of England and Richard the Lionheart, but was destroyed at the behest of Henry IV in the Wars of Religion.   Don't miss one of the best son et lumière shows in France at Château Le Lude.  A mixture of architectural styles, strategically placed on the river, the château is a perfect backdrop for the sound and light spectacles projected all summer long. 

Wine is produced in the region, specifically Côteaux de Loir, Jasnières and Cheverny.   Loire wines have recently come into their own, and in the last few years are receiving very high ratings by the likes of Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator's experts.  But this part of le Centre may be best known for its stunning grand châteaux.

Château de Chambord is a masterpiece of that flamboyant king of France, François I.  His interest in the château at Blois waned when he took up the construction of Chambord.   His son, Henri II, continued construction after François’ death, adding the chapel.  Gaston d’Orléans, brother of Louis XIII, began the first restoration.  It was occupied from 1669 to 1685 by Louis XIV, and Stanislaus Leszcynski (of whom we wrote past issue with regard to Lunéville) the father-in-law of Louis XV, lived there between 1725 and 1733.  In 1930, the entire estate was bought by the heirs of the Comte de Chambord (grandson of Charles X). 

Visitors enjoy wandering from room to room, occasionally coming upon interesting furnishings and paintings.  Many of the rooms stand empty and bare.  It seemed vast, but is still hard to believe that the château has 440 rooms!   It's a sturdy and solid looking creation with six main towers.  We were most impressed by a unique stairway, said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.  It is the Grand Staircase, a  “double helix”, devised so that people  ascending would never meet those  people who were descending at the same  time.  However, they do meet at the top and bottom! 

Chambord was begun in 1519, and François I was inspired by Italian architecture which played a large part in the design of the château.  Unfortunately, he didn't live to see it completed.  Later, Louis XIV brought in his architect, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who completed the west portion of the château and designed the park.  It is said that the keep, structured around a central plan of a Greek cross surrounded by apartments, was attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.  Be sure to go up to the roof terraces for views you will never forget.  From the parapets you can survey  the forests of the Sologne as far as the eye can see. Perhaps most impressive is the Forest of Chambord you pass through to reach the château.

Another château well worth your time is Château de Cheverny. It is still owned and occupied by the Hurault de Vibraye family, descendants of the original builders.  Originally the château of Count Henri (an officer of King Louis XIII) and his wife Countess Marguerite, Cheverny was designed by the architect Boyer of Blois and built between 1630 and 1640.  You won't want to miss seeing the beautiful furnishings and tapestries in the rooms open to the public ~ four ground floor rooms and eight rooms on the first floor, all beautifully decorated and maintained. The de Vibraye family lives in the château, so the tour is carefully regulated.  The Tapestry Room was the highlight of our visit.  There are five Flemish tapestries woven in the 17th century by David Teniers the Younger, depicting scenes from daily life including a village festival, a boule game and a celebration for a newborn. 

The last département we will visit in this edition of FRANCE On Your Own is the Eure-et-Loir (28) most famous for the town of Châteaudun and the cathedral town of Chartres.  This region of France is a vast plain, and our first memory of it many years ago was to see the towering spires of  Chartres cathedral several miles distant with brilliant fields of yellow rapeseed in the foreground. 

Châteaudun, some 28 miles from Chartres, is an ancient town rich in history since the time of the Dukes of Blois in the 10th century.  Originally, a fort was built on the steep bluff, and the town was the home (until the age of 15) of Jean de Dunois.  After conquering the English, Dunois returned to Châteaudun and built the Gothic Sainte-Chapelle from 1451 until he died in 1468.  It is more elegant than the rest of the château.  His son, François d’Orléans-Longueville built a wing in early French Renaissance.  The château is the property of the French government.  The town itself has suffered several disastrous fires, the latest in 1940.  Despite the losses, many buildings in town have survived and it is worth a visit.

Construction dates back to 1020 on the Romanesque cathedral at Chartres which was lost in a fire in 1194 ~ only the south tower, west front and crypt survived.  The sacred Veil of the Virgin relic was also to survive the fire.  The peasants and powerful alike rushed to rebuild it with religious inspiration, and it was miraculously reconstructed in only 25 years.  It is a Gothic masterpiece with world-famous stained glass windows donated by the Guilds between 1210 and 1240.  There are over 150 windows depicting scenes from Biblical stories and 13th century life.  In each World War, the windows were painstakingly removed for safety!  Some restoration of the windows (re-leading) began in the 1970s, and continues to this day.  The nave of the cathedral reaches the height of 121 feet, and the crypt is the largest in France dating from the early 11th century.  All in all, a visit to Chartres is awe-inspiring.   Very convenient parking is underground a block from the cathedral. 

We hope that during your first or next visit to the Loire, you will visit not only the royal châteaux but will explore and spend time in the little villages, each with their own amazing history.  Take time for a vineyard tour and wine tasting ~ the Loire wines may surprise you with their variety and appeal.  And, be sure to enjoy the beautiful rivers of le Centre by strolling or dining along their banks, picnicking in their riverside parks, or even renting a boat to row away a few hours. 

LOIR-ET-CHER: 

In Cheverny you will find Château du Breuil  ~ a stately château with a new swimming pool, spacious B&B accommodation and an excellent restaurant for its guests.  Fine Loire Valley wines are paired with menu selections to create elegant dinners.  In fact, one wine maker is right down the road for visits and tastings. 
 
 
 

Near Blois is Château du Guerinet, a magnificent Renaissance château that offers bed and breakfast lodging as well as renting in its entirety in the summer months or at other times of year if available.  A perfect venue for weddings and family gatherings, the château owners are eager to welcome you to their part of France and give advice about visiting to the royal châteaux, biking through the countryside or golfing on local courses.

See below for  their last-minute offer for a week at the Château this summer.
 
 
 

INDRE-ET-LOIR:

Discovered since our last newsletter describing this  département of France, the Château de Reignac is a stunning and historic castle offering luxury bed and breakfast accommodations.  Very convenient to the city of Tours,  it is a fine location for a wedding in France.  Château de Reignac has links to the American Revolution, as it was once owned by Général Marquis de Lafayette, whose 250th Birthday will be celebrated in September.

2 LAST-MINUTE OFFERS in the Loire ~

Château du Guerinet in the Loire is offering a 50% discount to rent the château the week of June 23 to June 30 ~ the last available week this summer ~ for only 2475 euros.  And, breakfast each day is included!   There are six double rooms, all with en suite bathrooms.  Click here to read more and see additional photos.  For rental details send an email to corina@loirechateau.com or phone 33.2.54.70.10.13.
 

Rent the beautiful Château de Détilly in the Loire Valley for a week this summer.  The week of July 28 to August 4 is still open.  Visit the château by clicking here, and send an email to info@au-chateau.com for further information.   Please put the word 'Detilly' in the subject line.   Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to gather your friends and family around the swimming pool at this splendid château!
 
 
 

DISCLAIMER:  You have received this newsletter because your email address is on our Opt-In mailing list, i.e., you have requested to receive FRANCE On Your Own ©.  If you would like to discontinue receipt of this newsletter, please send an email to publisher@franceonyourown.com with "unsubscribe" on the Subject line. 

Unless indicated otherwise, photos, graphics, artwork and text in the FRANCE On Your Own © newsletter are all the property of Cold Spring Press and FRANCE On Your Own © and cannot be copied, duplicated or used in any manner by anyone without the express written permission of Cold Spring Press.  FRANCE On Your Own © is published online by Cold Spring Press, P O Box 26098, San Diego, California  92196-0098.  This publication is copyrighted and no portions of the text, artwork, graphics or photographs may be reproduced or distributed in any  form or by any means or stored in a database or retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher.   For more information about FRANCE On Your Own ©, visit our web site at http://www.franceonyourown.com.

Recommendations made in this newsletter are based upon the personal experiences of the Publishers or contributing writers solely to provide information to subscribers. Cold Spring Press and FRANCE On Your Own © make no endorsements nor are any guarantees or promises of satisfaction given or implied.  Any and all information is correct to the best of our knowledge, and the Publishers accept no responsibility for errors and/or omissions.  The responsibility lies entirely with  the traveler to obtain current information regarding accommodations, availability, schedules,  prices, reservations, or any other pertinent details.  We do not guarantee the historical accuracy of the contents of articles in this newsletter.  Historical accuracy is dependent upon one's sources of information  -- and contradictions often exist among those sources.   Links to other web sites or email addresses are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply any guarantees of service or endorsement of any organization or their business practices.

FRANCE  On Your Own © is electronically transmitted via email.  To add your email address to our database for this FREE newsletter, send an email to info@franceonyourown.com, and please put Subscribe in the subject line.  We do not share email addresses with any other organization.

BACK ISSUES of the print version of FRANCE On Your Own © are available on our web site at http://www.franceonyourown.com/Archives.htm.