For full-blown château splendour, you can't top Chambord ( www.chambord.org ;adult/child €11/9, parking €4; h9am-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am-5pm Oct-Mar), constructed from 1519 by François I as a lavish base for hunting game in the Sologne forests but eventually used for just 42 days during the king's 32-year reign (1515–47).
The château's most famous feature is its double-helix staircase, attributed by some to Leonardo da Vinci, who lived in Amboise (34km southwest) from 1516 until his death three years later. The most interesting rooms are on the 1st floor, including the king’s and queen’s chambers (complete with interconnecting passages to enable late-night hijinks) and a wing devoted to the thwarted attempts of the Comte de Chambord to be crowned Henri V after the fall of the Second Empire.
Several times daily there are 1½-hour guided tours (€4) in English.
Chambord is 16km east of Blois.
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