Visitor's Guide to Château de Chenonceau

Europe . France

Visitor’s Guide to Château de Chenonceau

Last Modified: February 7, 2023

It is nicknamed the “Château des Dames” or lady’s château because many important and influential women have had connections to the castle at some point in history. One of the first well-known female inhabitants was Diane de Poitiers. She was first the governess of King Henry II when he was a young boy and eventually became his mistress and the love of his life. He gave the château as a gift to her in the 16th century, and even hundreds of years later, evidence of his devotion to her still remains.

Diane was the one who commissioned the bridge that now spans the River Cher. She hired Philibert de l’Orme, who designed the five arch bridge that has made the château so popular. Diane also was responsible for the French-style gardens that are still around today.

After the death of King Henry II, his wife Catherine de Medici banished Diane and kept the castle for herself. Catherine was a member of the influential Medici family of bankers that had power and influence over much of Italy.

Catherine added to the Chenonceau by building the grand gallery on top of the bridge Diane had previously commissioned. She then designed the stables on the grounds, which you can visit on your way to the wine cellars.

Fast forward a couple of hundred years to the late 1700s when Louis Dupin decided to reside at Chenonceau. She was one of the first female activists of her time and fought for the right of women to have a proper education. She became good friends with some of the top poets and philosophers of the time, including Voltaire, who was a frequent guest at Chenonceau.

For the next hundred or so years, the château passed from owner to owner until Henri Menier, the chocolatier, bought it in 1913. The fully restored castle is open for visitors, thanks to the Menier family, who still own Chenonceau today.

 

Involvement in WWII

If being the home of some of the most famous French royalty of the 16th century isn’t enough to make you want to visit, then here is another piece of the castle’s history.

Chenonceau survived the French Revolution and two World Wars. In WWI, the Menier family decided to turn part of the residence into a hospital for wounded soldiers.

Then, Chenonceau played an even more critical role in WWII as a way to get people from one side of the River Cher to freedom on the other. At the time, France was divided into occupied and free territories separated by the river. Resistance members used the château as an inconspicuous way of getting people to freedom. 

Unfortunately, the castle fell under German control and faced much damage due to bombings during the war. Since then, it has been completely restored.

Chenonceau is located just outside the village of Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley. It is a 2.5-hour drive from Paris and close to some of the Loire Valley’s larger towns, such as Tours and Amboise.

There is no direct train or bus to any Loire Valley castles from Paris. If you want to take a train, you must first travel to one of the nearby towns and take the TER from there.

The best way is to take the train from the Paris Montparnasse station to the St Pierre Des Corps station in Tours. Then, you will jump onto a second train to Chenonceaux station, which is close to the château’s parking lot.

The easiest way to get to Chenonceau is to join a tour or rent a car. If you are already staying in the Loire Valley, chances are you have a rental car at your disposal.

Distance from Loire Valley Towns:

• • Amboise – 15 minutes
  • Tours – 40 minutes
  • Blois – 45 minutes
  • Orléans – 90 minutes

From Paris Full Day Loire Valley Tours

If you are just interested in visiting the main castles of the Loire Valley, then this Full-Day Castle Tour is a great one for you to join. You will visit three magical castles, Chenonceau, Chambord, and Amboise. This small-group tour picks you up and drops you back off from Paris. It also includes free admission to the castles and audio guides if requested.

We opted for the Loire Valley Castles, Wine Tasting, and Lunch Tour. It includes transportation for the day, admission to two of the most famous castles in the area, and lunch with wine tasting at a quaint family-run vineyard.

Best Times to Visit

Since Château de Chenonceau is one of the most famous châteaux in France, just behind Versailles, it does get pretty crowded. However, although we visited during July, the busiest season of the year, we surprisingly did not feel like it was too busy. Part of the reason could be that we visited during the week instead of the weekend.

If you are visiting on your own, I suggest you get there at 9 am when it opens to have the most intimate experience possible. Start with a castle tour, then explore the garden and wine cellars.

• • January 1 & 2: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
  • January 3 – April: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
  • April 9 – May 29: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
  • May 30 – July 8: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
  • July 9 – August 28: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
  • August 29 – September 30: 9:00 am – 6:30 pm
  • October 1 – November 1: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
  • November 2 – December 16: 9:30 – 4:30 pm
  • December 17-31: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm

Entrance to the château is ¢15 for adults and ¢13 for children ages 7-18. Children under the age of 7 get in for free. For an additional ¢4, you can also get an audio guide. If you visit Chenonceau as part of a tour group, entrance tickets are included in the cost of your tour. 

I recommend spending the extra euros on an audio guide. There is so much information to learn about the castle and its previous owners that you will miss without one.

You can either purchase tickets online or at the ticket office at the property entrance. You will pay the same amount either way, but purchasing tickets in advance prevents waiting in a long line at the ticket booth. 

Special Events

Besides touring the premises, the grounds are open throughout the year for various events. From workshops and wine tastings to concerts and garden parties, the Chenonceau is open all year round so that others can enjoy the property and glimpse its magnificent past.

Unlike other châteaux in the Loire Valley, like Chambord, that were used as hunting lodges, Chenonceau was a primary residence and is, therefore, fully furnished. Each room is decorated floor-to-ceiling with expensive furnishings, large fireplaces, and fine art. The owners have done an impressive job turning the castle back into its former Renaissance brilliance.

Throughout the property, you can see carvings of a salamander, the symbol of the French royal family. You can also see carvings of an interconnected “H” and “D,” the initials of King Henry II and Diane de Poitiers.

You can find Diane’s bedroom on the first floor with the H&D engravings on her fireplace. The engravings should actually be of a C & H for Henry and Catherine, but they resemble the initials of Diane and Henry instead. Coincidence?

Another room you will see on the first floor is Francois I’s drawing room. It is decorated with expensive wallpaper and features a four-poster bed with elaborate drapery in the middle.

The castle’s upper floors are decorated much differently than the ground floor. They are adorned with more of an Italian influence, partly due to Catherine de Medici. After she took possession of the châteaux, she had several items brought from Italy to be displayed.

You can visit the Five Queen’s Bedroom and several other bedrooms on these floors. The Five Queen’s bedroom is called that because it was the main bedroom the wives of prominent kings used. Some queens that stayed here include Mary, Queen of Scots, Elisabeth of Austria, and Catherine’s daughters.

 

The Grand Gallery

The long gallery extends from the main châteaux, over the River Cher, to the opposite bank. The traditional black and white floor, chandeliers, and 18 floor to ceiling windows made this a popular place for entertaining and is still used today for functions.

Some of the best photos of the châteaux are from the opposite side of the river. You can get the perfect shot of the gallery from outside.

The gardens on the property are stunning and make for a romantic stroll after you tour the castle. There are several different gardens at Chenonceau, the most popular belonged to Diane, and the other to Catherine.

Diane’s gardens are to the left of the castle as you approach from the main gravel path at the entrance. They are known for their floating structure on top of the water. 

The formal French garden is full of daisies, roses, and other colorful flowers planted twice a year. In the center of the garden is a large fountain, surrounded by footpaths and trees.

The gardens are divided by alleyways used for walking and surrounded by a tall wall to protect from flooding. But, most importantly, they remain exactly as they were when Diane first commissioned them.

Catherine’s garden is on the other side of the châteaux. There is a large pond at its center and five grassy areas lined with flowers, orange and rose trees, and pathways. Catherin was also responsible for the Italian labyrinth made of over 2000 trees.

One of the best parts of the Chenonceau is the long gravel path from the parking lot to the entrance. The walkway is lined with tall, immaculately groomed trees, lush green grass, and a perfect view of the châteaux in the distance. 

Once you reach the castle steps, look down at the water, and you will see couples enjoying a peaceful afternoon in a rowboat rental. 

Further down from the castle is a farmhouse, Catherine’s stables, a wine cellar, and a restaurant. Though the stables are no longer in use, you can see some of the old carriages that the previous owners once used. You can also see some vintage Bentleys displayed. 

Hey, I’m Ally! Welcome to Cafes and Getaways. I’ll be sharing details on my latest travel destinations, as well as tips and tricks to help you plan your next adventure.

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