Free walking tours in Chenonceaux and what to see

Must-sees

Chenonceaux is a small village in Touraine, on the River Cher, known for its château, Chenonceau. Built in the early 16th century, it rests on the river with an arched gallery spanning from bank to bank. It is called the ladies’ château because several women left their mark on it: Katherine Briçonnet, who oversaw the building work, Diane de Poitiers, who commissioned the bridge and her garden, Catherine de’ Medici, who added the gallery, and later Louise Dupin, who saved it during the Revolution.

Inside you can tour furnished rooms, kitchens set into the piers of the bridge and the great gallery, which served as a hospital during the First World War. Outside, the gardens of Diane and Catherine, the maze, the kitchen garden and the woods let you spend a good while in the open air. The village, a few steps from the entrance, has quiet streets and a few restaurants.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no free walking tours in Chenonceaux. What Civitatis offers is a ticket for the Château de Chenonceau, which you visit on your own, with a leaflet or an audio guide. If you want a guided visit, the usual option is a day trip from Tours or Amboise combining Chenonceau with other Loire châteaux such as Amboise, Chambord or Cheverny.

How long to spend

Allow about three hours for the château and gardens, a bit more if you want to walk in the woods or have lunch there. Go early or late in the day to avoid the groups, especially in summer. Chenonceaux fits well into a two- or three-day route around the Loire châteaux: Chenonceau in the morning and Amboise in the afternoon, about twenty minutes’ drive away, with the royal château and the Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s last home.

Where to stay

The village itself has few places to stay, mostly small hotels and guesthouses, and staying there lets you walk to the château before it opens. Amboise has much more choice and is a good base for visiting several châteaux. Tours, about thirty kilometres away, adds a high-speed train station and city life. In the nearby countryside there are country cottages if you are driving.