Spanning the languid Cher River via a series of supremely graceful arches, the castle of Chenonceau ( www.chenonceau.com;adult/child €12.50/9.50, with audioguide €17/13.50; h9am-7pm Apr-Sep, shorter hours rest of year; W) is one of the most elegant and unusual in the Loire Valley. You can’t help but be swept up in the magical architecture, the fascinating history of prominent female owners, the glorious setting and the landscaped parkland.
The château’s interior is crammed with wonderful furniture and tapestries, stunning original tiled floors and a fabulous art collection including works by Tintoretto, Correggio, Rubens, Murillo, Van Dyck and Ribera. The pièce de résistance is the 60m-long window-lined Grande Gallerie spanning the Cher.
Make time to visit the gardens, too: it seems as if there’s one of every kind imaginable (maze, English, vegetable, playground, flower…).
The château is located 10km southeast of Amboise. Touraine Fil Vert (www.tourainefilvert.com; tickets €2.20) runs two daily buses from Amboise (15 minutes, Monday to Saturday).
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