Loire Valley
 Château
de Chenonceau - A jewel of French Renaissance built
in 1513 by Thomas Bohier, François the 1st Intendant
of Finance. The first part of the Château de Chenonceau
was the simple rectangular four-towered block with steeply pitched
roof standing on piles in the River Cher. This castle is now
worldwide renowned for its five-arched bridge over the Cher
river and was devoted to many Kings’ wives, including
Diane de Poitiers, la toujours belle, and Catherine de Medicis,
la fastueuse who inspired the magnificent gardens in front of
the castle.
 Cheverny
Castle - Used by Herge as a model for the famous Moulinsart
castle of Capitaine Haddock, is the most magnificently furnished
château in the Loire Valley and strikes any visitor with
the quality of its furniture, the authentic and refined charm
of its decoration Unlike other castles, such as Blois and Chambord,
whose interiors are almost empty, Cheverny boasts magnificent,
intact furnishings dating back to the Louis XIII epoch, paintings
by old masters and Flemish tapestries.
 Château
de Chambord - The largest castle in France with its
440 rooms and one of the best loved Renaissance castle’s
in the Loire valley. This elegant château was built by
Francois the 1st, Louis XII’s successor, who came to the
throne in 1515 when he was only 20 years old. Francois the 1st
had been particularly impressed by the figure of Lorenzo the
Magnificent, an outstanding personality in the field of politics
and culture.
 Château
de Villandry - Villandry is renowned for the harmony
of its architecture and is the last of the great Renaissance
Châteaux built on the banks of the Loire. Originally,
a feudal stronghold stood on the spot where Philip Augustus
king of France and Henry II Plantagenet king of England met
on July 4, 1189. Visitors are impressed by the splendour of
its courtyard, the elegance of its facades reflected in the
still water of the moat and the charm of its XVIIIth century
state room. Villandry, undoubtedly owes its fames to the splendid
and unique terraces of gardens which encase it like a jewelled
casket.
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PerryGolf
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