Undeniably French as is Chateau Chambord, Citroen 2CV!

Exterior, Interior or Grounds – it’s all about structure

When we visited Chateau Chambord, it was a bit of a grey day in the Val de Loire. A passing shower or two as we entered the grounds -32 km of wall surrounds the 52 sqkm of park and woodlands in our drive around the Chateau to the car parking.

Note – buy your €4 car park ticket at the “ cards only machine”, when you park, not when it’s time to leave!! Avoids lengthy departure queues.

The Chateau is massive, it’s meant to and does dominate, not because as many others do through a historical defensive position to guard, no it dominates, because it can!!

It’s all about – look at me and keep looking in amazement until you surrender, you have had enough, Chambord wins again!

First Things First

So we have the tickets, done the security check, visited the rest rooms by the entrance if needed and in we go! And where on earth does one start a tour of Chambord? We have walked around the Chateau to the entry gate, gained a view of the new garden being created on the way and became mesmerised by the overall structure of the Chateau!

The Impressive View en route from the Car Parks

Start with the Video Introduction

Across the quadrangle from the main entrance in the very heart of Chambord on the ground floor is an excellent video presentation room with multiple screens and language subtitles. This sets the ground work for your visit, gives you great context around the original early 16th century sponsor and building driver, King Francis 1, with his Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawings. The various stages of building development are fascinating and then post the French Revolution in 1792 when Chambord is stripped and left to decay before subsequently being rescued, renovated and now presented in the cleaned splendour we see today.

Inside the Quadrangle

Chateau Chambord is really hard to photograph just because it’s so huge and you need some closer shots to see the amazing detail in the stone masonry. After the video presentation we decided to start our tour at the bottom of the tower with the Kings bedroom and worked our way across and upwards to the opposite corner, if that makes sense. Then we headed across to the crowning glory the Lantern Tower which to me at least looks rather like a crown.

Delivery van perspective
Downpipe beauty, “ just because we can”
The Lantern Tower – no public access

Interiors and the “ double spiral staircase”

Crowds of visitors do come to see Chambord, yet it is so vast that there is heaps of room, even for the most popular areas, in particular that special staircase.

Loved the blue colour
Double Staircase internal void
The tuffeau limestone is stunning but what stone masonry skill!!

New Gardens and surround

Chateau Chambord has been putting great effort into reinstating some of its formal gardens and the best view of the early results of that is from the top balconies.

The Chapel
Classic 2CV

Chateau Chambord is a must visit, if you are keen on exploring the Chateaux of the Loire. The story of the last 500+ years of Chambord from vision, build and today’s presentation is mind blowing.

To conclude, it’s true the structure of Chambord it’s vision and design amazes but its the skills in the stone masonry of humble artisans that presents a Chateau that truly dominates ones senses. Do visit if you can, and enjoy, we certainly did.