Page 190 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

walls rising forbiddingly Labyrinthe (Maze) and Claude. The interior decor
from the drawbridge. the Jardin d’Ornement is mostly 19th century;
But the sections facing (Ornamental Garden), the Salon de Biencourt
the courtyard have large which depicts various was given historically
windows, ornate dormers kinds of love (fickle, coherent furnishings and
and decorative stonework passionate, tender and comprehensively restored
designed for more refined tragic). But the highlight in 2016. The lovely
living. is the 16th-century-style English-style gardens
Behind the château is Jardin des Simples were restored and partly
a ruined stone keep con- (Kitchen Garden), where replanted in 2015.
structed in 994 by warlord cabbages, leeks and car- The Drive » Follow the D84
Foulques Nerra, France’s rots are laid out to create east 6km through the tranquil
first great château builder. nine geometrical, colour- Indre valley, then cross the
It is the oldest such struc- coordinated squares. river south into Saché, home
ture in France. For bird’s-eye views to an attractive château and
across the gardens and Balzac museum. From Saché
5 p193 the nearby Loire and continue 26km east on the D17,
The Drive » Backtrack south Cher Rivers, climb to 11km northeast on the D45 and
9km east on the D976. Cross
across the Loire River on the D57, the top of the donjon north over the Cher River and
then follow the riverbank east (keep), the only medieval follow the D40 east 1.5km to
10km on the D16 to Villandry. remnant in this other- Chenonceaux village and the
wise Renaissance-style Château de Chenonceau.
château.
FRANCE 14 CHâTEAux OF THE LOIRE
3 Villandry
The six glorious land- The Drive » Go southwest 4km TRIP HIGHLIGHT
on the D7, then turn south 7km on
scaped gardens at the the D39 into Azay-le-Rideau. 5 Chenonceaux
Château de Villandry Spanning the languid
(%02 47 50 02 09; www. Cher River atop a su-
chateauvillandry.com; 3 rue TRIP HIGHLIGHT premely graceful arched
Principale; chateau & gardens 4 Azay-le-Rideau bridge, the Château de
adult/child €10.50/6.50, Romantic, moat-ringed Chenonceau (%02 47 23
gardens only €6.50/4.50, audio- Azay-le-Rideau (%02 47 90 07; www.chenonceau.com;
guides €4; h9am-btwn 5pm & 45 42 04; www.azay-le-rideau. adult/child €13/10, with audio-
7pm year-round, château interior fr; adult/child €8.50/free, guide €17.50/14; h9am-7pm
closed mid-Nov–mid-Dec & early audioguide €4.50; h9.30am- or later Apr-Sep, to 5pm or 6pm
Jan-early Feb) are among 6pm Apr-Sep, to 7pm Jul & Aug, Oct-Mar) is one of France’s
the finest in France, with 10am-5.15pm Oct-Mar) is one most elegant châteaux.
over 6 hectares of cascad- of France’s absolute gems, It’s hard not to be moved
ing flowers, ornamental wonderfully adorned with and exhilarated by the
vines, manicured lime elegant turrets, delicate glorious setting, the for-
trees, razor-sharp box stonework and steep slate mal gardens, the magic
hedges and tinkling foun- roofs, and surrounded by of the architecture and
tains. Try to visit when a shady, landscaped park. the château’s fascinating
the gardens are bloom- Built in the 1500s, the history. The interior is
ing, between April and château’s most famous decorated with rare fur-
October; midsummer is feature is its Italian-style nishings and a fabulous
most spectacular. loggia staircase overlook- art collection.
Wandering the pebbled ing the central courtyard, This extraordinary
walkways, you’ll see the decorated with the royal complex is largely the
classical Jardin d’Eau salamanders and ermines work of several remark-
(Water Garden), the of François I and Queen able women (hence its

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