A Fairytale, very Instagramable Castle

As if it had dropped straight out of a fairytale, Chenonceau castle has a particularly special feature. It was built across water, creating stunning reflections in the Cher river.

Chenonceau castle has a diverse and somewhat dramatic history. First a mill, then a Renaissance castle, a hospital during WWI, and a way to get to the free zone in WWII (as the Cher river was the French Demarcation line).



This 16th century chateau is surrounded by 70 hectares of garden and forest. The rose gardens and French gardens are famous worldwide.

chenonceau castle loire valley

Chenonceau : The Lady's castle

This surprising and beautiful place is the fruit of the work of several inspiring women who brought a feminine touch to this magnificent chateau. Their work is one of the reasons Chenonceau Castle receives around 800,000 visitors each year, making it one of France's most important tourist attractions.

  • Catherine Briconnet was wife of Thomas Bohier, who transformed the medieval mill into a Renaissance castle.
  • Diane de Poitiers, lifelong mistress of King Henri II added the formal gardens and the arched bridge.
  • Catherine de Medici changed the arched bridge into an Italian-style gallery (to host parties) and forced Diane de Poitiers to move to Chaumont sur Loire castle (also a magnificent place famous for its gardens).
  • Louise de Lorraine inherited Chenonceau in the late 16th century.
  • Madame Dupin, in the 18th century, saved Chenonceau castle from destruction during the French Revolution. She transformed Chenonceau into a writers' haven.
  • Madame Pelouze bought Chenonceau in a ruined state and supervised its total restoration in 1863. It is thanks to her that we can enjoy visiting Chenonceau today and experience it as it was in the Renaissance era. 

inside chenonceau castle

Chenonceau is one of the most visited of the Châteaux de la Loire and receives many thousands of visitors during the peak season. For a more peaceful and intimate experience, we know a hidden viewpoint, one of the secrets we share with all France Just For You travelers. It has an exceptional view of the castle from across the river.



We also have some suggestions on discovering Chenonceau from the River Cher, with some amazing photo opportunities!

Tip on the best way to experience Chenonceau

Chenonceau castle is also famous for its flower arrangements. There are four full-time flower arrangers at the castle, who create beautiful artistic floral arrangements from fresh flowers all year long. But it's at Christmas time that the flower arrangements are the most beautiful.

These are some pictures we took in Chenonceau castle on our last visit:  

For gourmet travelers, we will take you to one of the oldest distillery in the region - very near Chenonceau castle. See our Loire Valley Self-Drive itineraries

Our Travelers’ Reviews

John
My wife and I recently engaged Emilie, of France Just For You, to plan a two week trip to Provence in the first two weeks of May. It was mid-March and we found Emilie during a web search of self-driving tours of France. What a find! Emilie responded within twenty-four hours with very specific questions, wanting to know more about us, our interests …
Roger
The planning and coordination of our holiday was quite awesome and far exceeded all of our expectations and indeed our imagination. The 300 odd page personalised guide book with maps, times and distances, restaurants on route and at our destinations, recommended places to visit on route and the accomodation itself and hosts at each location were …
Cynthia
We enjoy drive yourself travel and located Emilie's France Just For You online. How fortunate we were. In September and early October we traveled 17 days in Loire, Bordeaux, Dordogne, Carcassonne and Provence. All the accommodations were in historic B&Bs. Our hosts were invariably gracious and helpful. At every stop Emilie included a home cooked …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Rory & Mike
From the US
Enjoying a romantic moment
Harry
From Australia
In the War Cemetery in Normandy
Steffi & Jeff
in Chenonceau castle....romantic !
Jim
From Australia
At the top of the Rhune mount in the Basque Country
Shelley, Andy, Dianne & Bob
from the US
On the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Naz & Mounir
On a side-car tour in the Loire Valley
Rose & Bryan
from the US
in Chenonceau castle, Loire Valley
Kathy & Steve from the US
Having dinner at the B&B in the Loire Valley
Chris, Diane, Teresa & Lorelea
From the US
In Epernay, in the Champagne region
Nathalie from Australia
...found a truffle in Provence !
Sue & Chris
Romantic night in Montecarlo
Clemmer & Dennis
From the US
After folding the US flag in the Meuse Argonne War Cemetery - Eastern France