The Royal Chateau first on our list today, is located high on its rocky perch, dominating the city skyline and the Loire river. Its four facades, each of a distinct style, offer a rapid overview of French architecture and the history of the Chateaux of the Loire. It’s the only one to have hosted 10 Queens and 7 Kings of France, including Louis X11 and Francis 1, his nephew and successor. The city was the favoured stronghold of France’s rulers for over 100 years. It has 564 rooms, including 100 bedrooms with a fireplace in each and 84 staircases. The Chateau has witnessed more than one notable historical event, including the stay of Joan of Arc (1412-1431); the murder of the Duke of Guise (1550-1588) by Henry 111 (1551-1589); the place of exile for Marie de Medici (1545-1642).

Eglise-St-Nicholas, located between the Chateau and the Loire, combines Romanesque and Gothic styles. We spent a few hours meandering over the 4 floors and Chateau’s terrace. 

Then onto Chateau de Chambord to capture some drone shots. Wow, those incredible 18thC gardens are splendid – they were a late addition to the grounds of the chateau as the soil was largely soft wetland and marsh. It was during the stay of Polish King, Stanislas Leszczynski, between 1725-1733 that the marshlands were drained and sanitised, with bridges, dykes, a canal built (eradicating the malaria-carrying mosquitoes previously present). In 1734 the plantations on the 6.5 hectares began. Fantastic to be able to fly droney to capture the planting design from the air. The gardens fell into disrepair after the Revolution, until only large flat lawns remained, but restored  again in 2016. Tomorrow, we are going to explore inside!