LOIRE VALLEY CASTLES : "THE RENAISSANCE JEWELS"

6 days luxury tour for small group

 

Day 1: PARIS / SULLY / CHAMBORD / BLOIS (240 km – 149 miles)

 

08.00: Staff welcome with a coffee in your hotel for the motorbikes rental formalities.

Then, departure for Malesherbes via Fontainebleau Forest and arrival around 11h00 in Sully Sur Loire,

 

Visit of SULLY S/LOIRE Castle.

Château of Sully-sur-Loire, a real medieval fortress, was classed as a historical monument in 1928.

Built to some encablures of the Loire, upstream of Orleans, the castle of  Sully has plunged for six centuries the fine silhouette of its roofs in pepper

plantations in the peaceful mirror of its ditches.

 

Lunch at Hostellerie du Grand Sully.

 

Road in the afternoon and stop for a visit of CHAMBORD Castle.

The Chateau de Chambord is the most exciting of the Loire chateaux in plan and structure.

The original wooden model was by an Italian, Domenico da Cortona, but was much altered in execution. Leonardo da Vinci, who designed

a palace for François at Romorantin, may have been involved. At first sight mediaeval in plan, with a four-towered square 'donjon'

inside a rectangular four-towered enceinte, Chambord has a Renaissance vigour of design.

Four rectangular vaulted halls on each floor form a cross-shape, meeting in the centre with the spectacular double-helix open-work staircase, where

people can ascend and descend simultaneously without meeting. This and the subsidiary staircases are crowned with lanterns.

 

Short trip to reach BLOIS

Accommodation in BEST WESTERN BLOIS CHATEAUX 3*** hotel.

Diner and overnight

 

Day 2: BLOIS / CHAUMONT / AMBOISE (36 km – 23 miles)

 

Full breakfast then departure for visiting the BLOIS Castle.

Favourite residence of the Kings of France. A residence for the Counts of Blois, the Dukes of Orleans, the Kings and Queens of France, and several

princes in exile, the Royal Château of Blois is haunted by the memory of all the illustrious hosts lived here. Among these renowned figures are several

counts of Blois who led the Crusades and the prince poet Charles d’Orléans. In 1429, Joan of Arc came in the château to have her banner blessed.

 

Then, short distance for visiting CHAUMONT Castle.

Through its position and imposing bulk, softened here and there with elegant decorative motifs, the Château de Chaumont conveys its original

function as citadel watching over the Blois area and its ultimate use as pleasurable Renaissance country house in this royal valley.

As only some twenty years separated the two construction campaigns, the obvious contradictions in style are none the less not altogether incompatible.

Needs for security were inextricably bound to needs for pleasure. The building fully expressed these two aspects before the demolition of its north wing.

One of its oldest sections, it served as the point of departure for rare architectural orders which set it apart from innovative constructions of the

early 15th century. The château then languished until it received sensitive restoration work in the 19th century.

 

Lunch at “L’Hôtellerie du château”

 

After lunch, trip towards Amboise.

Beginning with François 1er’s reign, while the court generally stayed at Fontainebleau and the Louvre, the sovereign still appreciated Amboise, up

to Henri II. The monarch’s stays were rarer from Henri III’s reign. The court left the Touraine region definitively for Ile-de-France under Henri IV.

Just 500 meters away the Clos Lucé Castle will be your next visited.

It was Francis I who brought Leonardo da Vinci to the Château de Cloux in 1516 and installed him there, on the advice of his sister, Marguerite de

Navarre. Leonardo da Vinci travelled across the Alps, carrying with him on mule back three of his most remarkable paintings, the Mona Lisa, St. Anne,

and St. John the Baptist, which he completed at Le Clos Lucé. Leonardo da Vinci carried out various commissions for the king as designer of Court

festivals, architect, civil engineer (studies for the Canal de Romorantin, locks on the Loire), military engineer, town planner, advisor…

 

In late afternoon, accommodation at le Choiseul 4****

At the foot of the Amboise Castle ramparts, overlooking the Loire, The Choiseul is a collection of private residences built in the 18th Century,

surrounding Italian-style gardens.

An ideal base for those who wish to visit the royal castles of the Loire Valley & to savour the area's celebrated cuisine.

 

Dinner and overnight stay at the manor.

 

DAY 3: AMBOISE / VILLANDRY / BOURGUEUIL / SAUMUR (105 km – 66 miles)

 

Full breakfasts then departure toward Tours then stop for visiting the VILLANDRY Castle.

Villandry was completed toward 1536 and was the last of the large castles built in the Loire Valley during the Renaissance.

Villandry was built by Jean le Breton, one of François I’s Finance Ministers, whose coat of arms can be seen on the gable of the left-hand dormer

window.

His most impressive achievement in this field was the construction of Chambord, that vast flight of regal fancy, which Le Breton supervised

under the aegis of François I. While directing this project, he built for himself nearby a small replica of Villandry called Villesavin near the

Chambord chateau. Le Breton had first been ambassador to Italy where he spent all his time studying the Italian Renaissance art of gardening.

In order to build the present chateau, Le Breton had razed an old XIIth century castle, from which he had only kept the old tower that can be seen

behind the main courtyard.

 

Proceed to Langeais and visiting the Castle.

Around the year 1000, Touraine was coveted by two powerful local lords:

the Count of Anjou, Foulque Nerra, and the Count of Blois, Eudes I. At the end of the 10th century, Foulques Nerra conquered the site of

Langeais, not far from Tours, and established a castle on the promontory. All that remains of it now are a few traces of the keep. For the next four

decades, Langeais went through troubled times, occupied turn and turn about by the successive Counts of Blois and Anjou.

Finally, in 1044, along with the rest of Touraine, it fell into the hands of the Plantagenets and then of their descendants who were the Kings of

England. It was not until 1206 that Langeais became part of the French realm, after the victories of Philippe Auguste (King Philippe II) over

England’s King John. Thereafter, its possession was conferred on various great lords close to the French court.

 

Proceed to Bourgueil.

Bourgueil is mainly well-known for its wines with two appelations: Bourgueil and Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil.

 

Lunch at « La Rose de Pindare » restaurant

 

Stop in a Winery and wine tasting.

 

Departure for visiting « LE CADRE NOIR »

A unique school in the world ... The "Cadre Noir" Saumur presents its traditional occasions, intended to raise awareness of equestrian art.

The tour lets you discover the world of horses in this prestigious site (rides, careers, upholstery).

 

Later, visit to SAUMUR Castle.

The castle of Saumur is built on a height which orders the Loire Valley.

Saumur is in the beginning a strengthened site. A main tower of square plan occupied the slope at the 11th century.

There remains of this first construction, the bottom grade which correspond to the arched room located under the court, and a face integrated in the

frontage of the body of building located on the right of the entry. At the 13th century, one builds around this "keep" a square, confined enclosure of four

round towers of which the lower part still exists and is quite visible.

In second half of the 14th century, Louis 1st of Anjou, brother of Charles V and Jean de Berry, transforms this medieval fortress into a more elegant

castle. The castle of Saumur, at that time, was eternalized by the book of hours of the «Très riches heures du duc de Berry» ("Very rich hours of the

duke of Berry").

This painting, which illustrates September, represents a scene of grape harvest, and in the second plan, the castle of Saumur. We can thus make us a

precise idea of the state of the building in XVème century. One can see all the high parts of the castle cutting out on a blue sky in a sumptuous crowning:

notched parapets, roofs, chimneys, attic windows, wind vanes with the flowers of lily gilded.

 

In late afternoon, accommodation at hotel “Anne d’Anjou” 3***

 

Diner and overnight at the hotel.

 

DAY 4: SAUMUR / ANGERS: 85 km (53 miles)

 

Breakfast and departure for visiting BREZE Castle

If the castle of Brézé is single in more than one way, it is to its owner, the count de Colbert, that it must! This true Loire château is actually a castle

under a castle. Indeed, under the castle of surface, built between XIe and XIXe centuries, is hiding place an incredible underground fortress and up to

that point closed with the public. Surrounded by a team of specialists in museography and inheritance, Mr. De Colbert with decided to open its

castle of the roofs until deepest of the undergrounds.

 

Then you will discover “The village troglodyte”

Rochemenier is a troglodyte (cave dwelling) village situated on a plain. You can visit (since 1967): Two ancient farms with dwellings and "out-buildings"

cut into the rock, containing several hundred agricultural implements and pieces of furniture. A farm yard with animals. An underground chapel. A

modernised troglodyte house showing how it is still possible, today, to use this kind of dwelling.

 

Lunch at « L’Aubergade » , a fine restaurant in Gennes

It will be possible then to have wine tasting in the famous Saumur area, known for its sparkling wine and for the appellation Saumur Champigny

 

Proceed to ANGERS through the magnificent Loire river right bank.

 

Accommodation at “Hotel d’Anjou 3***”

End of the afternoon on your own to stroll downtown in this lovely town

Diner and overnight at the hotel.

“The best way to discover the Anjou region is to take in the gentle way of life that goes hand-in-hand with the banks of the River Loire. BEST

WESTERN Anjou Hotel, a 3-star hotel with character located in the heart of the city of Angers, offers the authenticity of a 19th century home with all

the luxury of city life. Courtesy combined with friendly, smiling faces and a family feel will guarantee relaxation and tranquility throughout your stay.

Meetings and seminars can be held in our naturally-lit Art Deco-style lounges.

La Salamandre restaurant, decorated in the 15th-century ‘François 1er’  style, offers down-to-earth, traditional cuisine. Every detail will remind you

that you are staying in an elegant hotel, where we make it our business to fulfill our guests’ every need.”

 

DAY 5: ANGERS / CHINON / AZAY LE RIDEAU (105 km – 66 miles)

Breakfast in your hotel.

Then, ANGERS Castle visit

Discover one of the best-preserved mediaeval fortresses in France. The castle's architecture enables us to trace the morphological evolution of the

site right back to the first traces of human occupation about 4000 years BC, including the construction of the fortress and its 17 towers by the

young St Louis and that of the royal apartments, the chapel and the "châtelet" or little castle by the dukes of Anjou. Come and admire this

superb 13th-century fortress, with its sumptuous gardens and its famous tapestries, including the remarkable Apocalypse Tapestry.

 

Departure toward CHINON Castle.

Lunch en route at « La Toque Blanche »

After lunch, proceed to Chinon and you will visit its castle.

The fortress began its fall into decay in the 17th century, under the ownership of Cardinal Richelieu. In 1808, the monument was graciously

handed over to the care of the Arrondissement Council – the General Council as it is now known.

Overlooking the crossroads of the three provinces of Anjou, Poitou and Touraine, the rocky spur upon which the royal fortress of Chinon stands is

a strategic and much coveted location that has been occupied since Antiquity.

There has been a castle on the site at least since the 10th century, when Theobald the Trickster, Count of Blois, built a tower there. But it was not

until 1154 that Henry II Plantagenet, Count of Anjou and King of England, set the fortress on the road to its present grandeur.

 

Proceed to AZAY LE RIDEAU and Castle’s visit.

It was during the period of creative energy of the early years of the reign of François I that the Château of Azay was built. Located in Touraine, it is one of

the string of prestigious châteaux of the Loire where, for a century, the Kings of France liked to stay. Built by Gilles Berthelot, a rich financier and member

of the Touraine bourgeoisie, he displayed the characteristic enthusiasm of the cultured upper classes for the Italian Renaissance. This edifice inaugurated

the era of leisure residences that combined the charm of aFrench-style château with the majesty of an Italian palace. The water surrounding the château,

the corner turrets and the circular walk along the external walls were architectural features taken from the medieval tradition. But the symmetrical

distribution of the large openings gives the façades a regular appearance and reveals the influence of Italian architecture. The impressive staircase is a

fine example of the sumptuous sculpted décor that is the most prestigious feature of this piece of architecture. This light-filled, transparent space, which

opens on to the courtyard of honour via loggias and onto the attractive grounds on the other side via large bay windows, connects the château to its

location.

Accommodation at hotel “Le Grand Monarque 3***

Diner and overnight at the hotel.

 

DAY 6 : AZAY LE RIDEAU / CHENONCEAU / CHEVERNY / PARIS (300 km – 186 miles)

 

Breakfast in your hotel.

Departure for visiting CHENONCEAU Castle.

Built on the river Cher, where the unique beauty of its architecture reflects in the water, the Château de Chenonceau is the Val de Loire’s finial.

Château des Dames as recorded in the French history books, Chenonceau owes a large part of its charm to women: it was built in 1513 by Katherine

Briçonnet, then made even more attractive by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis, and saved from the rigours of the French Revolution

by Mrs Dupin. The lovely surroundings, the formal garden and the park surrounding it add to the impression of delicate grace emanating from the

castle. Chenonceau is not only remarkable for its architecture and history but also for the fine quality of its collections as can be seen from the inside

visit: Renaissance furniture, a vast ensemble of XVI th and XVII th centuries tapestries and a great number of masterpieces. Le Primatice, Rubens, Le

Tintoret, Rigaud, Nattier, Van Loo are among the most famous names that can be found there ..Road to Chissay for your lunch at Chissay Castle.

After the lunch, proceed to Chevery and visit of its Castle.

The present Château de Cheverny is an original jewel among the more famous monuments that stretch along the Loire Valley. In fact, Renaissance style

did not find its place in Cheverny, which is built in the purest Louis XIII classical style, distinguished by an extraordinarily symmetrical architecture.

Cheverny, which was built in the first part of the 17th Century, is a prime example of this style.

Its delicate features also stand out through the perfect whiteness of the stones, from the Bourré quarries in the Cher Valley.

The Château de Cheverny is perfectly preserved as it was built all at once. Nothing has been changed. Thanks to this, Cheverny has maintained the same

exterior for the last 350 years, without gaining the smallest wrinkle!

It’s now time to come back to PARIS by the highways.

Arrival in late afternoon and vehicles drop off.

 

NET FARES per person, based on a small party of 6 to 15 clients, sharing a bike (2 persons per vehicle), with double room occupancy and with departure
dates on request only.

Number of persons per group

14/15 persons                           3.040,00 € per person
12 persons                                3.125,00 € per person
10 persons                                3.240,00 € per person
8 persons                                  3.405,00 € per person
6 persons                                  3.390,00 € per person

Solo Bike supplement: 495,00 €

Single room supplement: 650,00 €

* : rate from