Château de Chenonceaux

Chenonceaux almost spans the River Cher and is without a doubt one of the loveliest of the Loire’s châteaux. This château owes a great deal to each of its six female occupants. Catherine Briconnet built Chenonceaux as a home, not a fortification, and sexy Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henry II, added a garden and the bridge between the house and the banks of the River Cher. When Henry died, his jealous wife, Catherine de Medici, took Chenonceaux back and consigned Diane to Château de Chaumont. Catherine had the gallery built on the bridge, laid out the park, and held decadent parties. She bequeathed her home to Louise de Lorraine, her daughter-in-law who, after her husband’s death, retired here and went into mourning for the rest of her life. In 1733 it passed to Monsieur Dupin whose intellectual wife was so beloved by the locals that it escaped the Revolution unscathed. In 1864 it was bought by Madame Peolouze who made it her life’s work to restore her home. The château is now the home of the Menier family. Chenonceaux merits a leisurely visit: you want to allocate at least two hours for wandering through the park, gardens, and its elegant interior. The grounds also contain a wax museum with scenes from the château’s history. (Open all year, tel: 02.47.23.90.07.) Fax: 02.47.59.01.36