Château de Chenonceau

The land at Chenonceau was acquired by Thomas Bohier, a tax collector for the French crown, in 1513. His wife Catherine Briçonnet supervised the construction of the main building between 1514 and 1522, earning Chenonceau its reputation as a 'ladies' castle' from the very beginning — though the designation more properly belongs to its later owners.

Henri II gave the château to his favourite, Diane de Poitiers, in 1547. Diane, fifteen years older than the king and his intellectual and romantic companion for decades, transformed the estate: she designed the formal garden on the eastern bank and in 1556 built the bridge over the Cher, the element that makes Chenonceau architecturally unique. When Henri II died in a jousting tournament in 1559, his widow Catherine de Médicis immediately reclaimed Chenonceau from Diane, who was evicted to Anet.

Catherine de Médicis built the two-storey gallery across Diane's bridge between 1576 and 1581, hosting elaborate fêtes in it — including the first time fireworks were used in France. She envisioned a great château on the south bank of the Cher to complete the composition, but died before it could be built. The foundation piers are still visible in the riverbank.

During the First World War, the gallery across the river served as a military hospital, with nearly 2,000 wounded soldiers treated there between 1914 and 1918. During the Second World War, the château's unique geographical position made it politically significant: the north bank was in the German-occupied zone, the south bank in Vichy France, and the gallery became a clandestine passage used by the French Resistance to move people across the demarcation line.

Getting there: The nearest town with a train station is Chenonceaux village (note the extra 'x'), served by trains from Tours (45 min) and Amboise (20 min). The château is a 5-minute walk from the station. By car from Tours, 34km southeast on the D40, about 40 minutes. From Paris, take a TGV to Tours (1h 10min) and then a regional train.

Best approach: The main entrance leads you through the plane tree allée to the château's north facade. Most visitors rush to the château, but walk the Diane de Poitiers garden and the Catherine de Médicis garden (on opposite banks) before entering — the views from the gardens across the water to the arches are as impressive as anything inside.

Inside: Work from the ground floor up. The kitchen in the basement, built into one of the bridge's arches directly over the river, is one of the most unusual spaces — the wax figures and working fireplace give a vivid impression of daily life. The gallery on the first floor, spanning the full 60 metres of the bridge, has black-and-white tiled floors and windows on both sides looking down to the water.

Combine with: Amboise is 12km north and contains both the Château d'Amboise (where François I held court) and the Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci's final home and workshop, now an extraordinary hands-on museum of his inventions. A natural half-day pairing.