| King François I spent without counting to realize his
"Masterpiece" project. He even went as far as to change the
natural course of the river. Leonard da Vinci himself may have even participated
in its creation. So, hold on...
Jokes aside now, this is serious stuff. If you're going to visit
one chateau on the Loire, it should be this one. This is solid stock.
420 feet wide, 440 rooms, 365 chimneys, 84 staircases.... Inscribed
on Unesco's World Heritage Site list. Now, THAT's a chateau.
Obviously, you can't miss this one. Make sure you have good pair
of walking shoes, a bottle or two of water, a little snack, and
a camera. Park your car in the parking lot. Try to get there before
or after all the tourist buses. Wait until you get inside to go
to the bathroom ( it's not free outside the chateau). Now it's time
to buy your tickets. Go toward the entry all the way to the right.
Because it is almost invisible to the naked eye, you'll pass right
through and won't have to wait behind a whole bus load of tourists.
After that, it's smooth sailing. Another two hundred yards or so
and you are inside the chateau. Prepare yourself for the shock.
It's simply splendid, beautiful, indescribably beautiful. The problem
is that everyone knows it, and not just since the advent of the
Internet. There's no way to take a picture without a few "walk-ons"
getting in your way.
It takes between 2 and 3 hours
to visit the Chateau |
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If there are several of you, separate into two groups. Each group
should take one of the two stone spiral staircases and plan to meet
on the roof. You'll run into each other from time to time, but you
might not find each other all together at the end. Very smart Leonardo
(da Vinci). Oh yes, I almost forgot, for the toilets... the free
ones; they're outside near the Royal door in the courtyard.
Oh yes and another piece of advice from Azureva.com. If possible,
try and avoid writing your name or your girlfriend's on the walls.
ARGH! . At the moment, the Chinese, Russians, Australians, Papuans,
etc. think that it's a pretty funny thing to do. And besides, you
can't find your own name anymore! |
photos: vaulted, coffered ceiling and the grand staircase, and
of course a bunch of people we don't know!
Entrance: visits (with a guide or
on your own) cost 40FF (25FF reduced price), free for children 17
and under (yes, that's right.)
Year round attractions:
The Royal Apartments, the Hunting and wildlife art Museum, the
Museum of the Count of Chambord, lighting up of the chateau at night.
But also:
-"Les métamorphoses de Chambord", a nocturnal walking
show (April through November).
-Boat rides on the Cosson (March to November)
-Equestrian show with period costumes
- Carriage rides (May to September)
Remember to bring enough money for all the "extras"... |
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The Park.
The park at the Château de Chambord, the largest enclosed forest/park
in Europe, has been a hunting reserve since 1947. The 32 km of walls
enclose over 5500 hectares. 1500 hectares are accessible to visitors
with game observatories (deer, wild boar). |
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