• Chateau de Chenonceau
  

  
  Achingly beautiful, the Château de Chenonceau has long been considered the "most romantic" of all the Loire châteaux, thanks in part to its showpiece—a breathtaking galerie de bal that spans the River Cher like a bridge. Set in the village of Chenonceaux (spelled with an x) on the River Cher, this was the fabled retreat for the dames de Chenonceau, Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de' Medici, and Mary Queen of Scots. Happily spending at least half a day wandering through the château and grounds, you can see that this monument has an undeniable feminine touch. During the peak summer season the only drawback is the château's popularity
  
  

• Château de Chambord
  

  
  This second most visited château in France (after Versailles), is a dream place to visit. The château to end all châteaux, a masterpiece of the French Renaissance.
  
  

• Château d'Azay-le-Rideau
  

  
  The 16th-century Château d'Azay-le-Rideau was created as a literal fairy-tale castle. When it was constructed in the Renaissance era, the nouveau-riche treasurer Gilles Berthelot decided he wanted to add tall corner turrets, a moat, and machicolations to conjure up the distant seigneurial past when knighthood was in flower and two families, the Azays and the Ridels, ruled this terrain. It was never a serious fortress—it certainly offered no protection to its builder when a financial scandal forced him to flee France shortly after the château's completion in 1529.
  
  

• Château d'Amboise
  

  
  The Château d'Amboise became a royal palace in the 15th and 16th centuries. Charles VII stayed here, as did the unfortunate Charles VIII, best remembered for banging his head on a low doorway lintel (you will be shown it) and dying as a result. The gigantic Tour des Minimes drops down the side of the cliff, enclosing a massive circular ramp designed to lead horses and carriages up the steep hillside. François I, whose long nose appears in so many château paintings, based his court here, inviting Leonardo da Vinci as his guest. The castle was also the stage for the Amboise Conspiracy, an ill-fated Protestant plot against François II; you're shown where the corpses of the conspirators dangled from the castle walls. Partly due to the fact that most interior furnishings have been lost, most halls here are haunted and forlorn.
  
  

• Villandry
  

  
  Villandry is more famous for what lies outside the castle's walls than what lies within. Sheltered with enclosing walls, the castle's glorious landscaped gardens are some of the fines in France.
  
  

• Orleans
  

  
  Orleans is the capital of the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. Most of Orleans in devoted to Jean d'Arc as she liberated the town in medival times. Sights here include the House of Joan of Arc, the Cathedral, Hôtel Groslot and other architectural gems.
  
  

• Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud
  

  
  Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud is the burial place of several Plantagenet rulers of England and various French duchies, including Henry II, Richard I the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is located in an historic town of Fontevrault.
  
  

• Clos Luce
  

  
  Clos Luce is the retirement home of the original Renaissance Man, Leonardo da Vinci. The house and landscaped grounds host scale models of his inventions.
  
  

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