The most impressive castle in the Loire Valley: Château de Chambord

After wandering the medieval streets of Beaugency, we arrive at the Château de Chambord, the most iconic castle in the Loire Valley and a masterpiece of French Renaissance architecture.

Set within Europe’s largest enclosed forest park (5,000 hectares, surrounded by a 32-km wall), Chambord was commissioned by King Francis I in 1519 as a symbol of power and his passion for hunting.

In this video, we take you through the full guided tour:

The legendary double-helix staircase (two people can ascend without ever meeting!)
The Hunting Room, adorned with art celebrating the estate’s hunting heritage
The Museum of the Count of Chambord, featuring his throne, portraits, and personal 19th-century artifacts
Royal apartments: Queen’s Chamber, Royal Oratory, Francis I’s Bedroom
The Chapel, the castle’s largest room, uniquely not oriented toward Jerusalem
The State Apartment, including the opulent Chamber of the Levée used for royal ceremonies
The 18th-century kitchens, restored in 2016, complete with bakery, pastry room, and historic chicken coop
The hunting exhibition floor: taxidermy, tapestries, ornate hunting buttons, and a detachable hunting boat
The rooftop terraces, offering breathtaking views of the French Gardens (magnificently restored in 2015 after centuries of neglect)
💡 Practical Tips:

Paid parking (overnight allowed for campervans)
Visit at sunset for crowd-free photos
Some rooms may be closed for restoration
Perfectly paired with a stop in Beaugency or Orléans
Chambord is more than a castle—it’s a stone symphony where French and Italian Renaissance genius merge in light, geometry, and grandeur.

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💬 Have you visited Chambord? Was it the staircase or the rooftop views that left you speechless? Share below!

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