You can skip the stereotypical day trip to Disneyland Paris and opt for the original French castle that inspired the Beauty and the Beast castle in Disney movies. If you’re into castles and dreamy landscapes and still living in a fairytale world, this day trip from Paris will be one of the most memorable ones. If you have kids who love fairy tales then they too would love to explore the real deal.
If you’re an art connoisseur, then one of the castles on this day trip has a strategic stairway designed by Leonardo Da Vinci and you may also spot his home at Chateau de Amboise in Central France from a distance.
You cannot go to France and not indulge in some world famous French wine. After all, we all want to experience the Bon Vivant lifestyle when in France. For all the vinophiles out there, there is a wine tasting in a centuries old wine cellar inside a Chateau in the Loire Valley.
There is something for everyone along with a pit stop at a medieval French town for lunch.
While you can do this day trip by driving down to the Loire Valley by yourself, I’d highly recommend going for a tour by CityWonders as it is a hassle free experience with a dash of storytelling by an enthusiastic guide as you gaze out of the windows of your coach. This is surely a more immersive experience to soak into the history and culture of the place.
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Inspiration for the Beauty & the Beast with the Da Vinci touch at Chateau de Chambord
The Loire Valley in France has one of the highest density of castles in the world. The British and the French often battled over this strategic valley, however, the French nobility soon took over the region as their royal playground. The Chateau de Chambord is a 500 year old castle that served as the hunting lodge of King Francois I of an ancient regime in France in the early 1500s.
Château de Chambord with its landscaped gardens is a melange of sumptuousness and excess with it’s double helix staircase believed to have been designed by the King’s friend, Leonardo Da Vinci. The double helix staircase served as a military strategy to be able to escape the castle in the event of an invasion, however, our tour guide shared an anecdote of the King having many mistresses and the staircase design would help the mistresses step out of the castle without ever having to meet the Queen.
Tourist Tip: If you’re a couple or in a group, split up and climb one side each of the double helix staircase, and you will not see each other till you are off the staircase and have reached the rooftop.
You’d also find a replica of the famous Mona Lisa in one of the rooms at Chambord and it will be much easier for you to observe the finer nuances of the masterpiece here than at the crowded galleries of the Louvre. When France was under attack during World War II, the masterpiece was moved to Chambord in the Loire Valley to keep it safe.
However, one of the popular reasons tourists and Disney fans visit the Chateau de Chambord is that it served as an inspiration for the castle depicted in The Beauty and the Beast. With its magnanimous exterior facade, winding staircase, turrets, lake views and the backdrop of the French countryside, it cannot get more magical than this.
Lunch at the medieval town of Blois
As part of our tour with CityWonders, we visited the whimsical medieval town of Blois. While the Chateau de Blois is historically significant with a woman led army in the 1400s who set off to drive away the British from certain French territory, as an Indian tourist I was more drawn to what lay right opposite the Chateau.
Facing the Chateau de Blois, is the House of Magic which has an automated six-headed dragon dance its way out of the house windows every 30 to 60 minutes. It also has music play in the background almost like someone just wound a gigantic key at the back to bring this oversized toy to life.
We then went to an authentic French bistro to have a lunch of some galettes which are savoury French crepes made of buckwheat flour stuffed with vegetables and cheese of our choice. They are most comparable to a rava dosa back home in India. Google Translate may come in handy in this little town for non-French speakers as most of the restaurant staff may not be able to speak in English. While you are being a Flaneur post your lunch, don't forget to explore the Denis-Papin staircase which looks like a painting in the middle of the town from a distance. You could also climb to the top to get a panoramic view of Blois nestled in the Loire.
If you are independently driving down to the Loire Valley and have visited other medieval towns in Europe, then you may choose to skip Blois and spend more time at Chambord and Chenonceau. You could even have lunch at Chateau de Chambord in the outdoor restaurant where you can take in the views of the castle’s exteriors for a little bit longer.
French wine tasting at the Chateau de Chenonceau
Wine was first brought to France by the Romans about 2600 years ago and since then, the country is divided into wine growing regions and globally known to produce some of the best wine in the world. The Loire Valley is the most accessible wine growing region in France from Paris on a day trip.
Our first stop inside the estate of the Chateau de Chenenceau was a wine cellar where a sommelier helped us with samples of the best French wine from the region and indulged us in some wine tasting. We tried different types of wine and particularly loved the sparkling Rose, however, if you’re red wine then you should bring home a bottle from the Loire Valley as it pairs really well with Indian cuisine.
Chateau de Chenonceau, beyond its famous French wine tasting experience, is a UNESCO World heritage site because of its breathtaking Renaissance architecture and is often referred to as the Ladies castle because a majority of its owners and inhabitants have been women since the time it was built. This castle has a lot of its original furnishings with bedrooms and study rooms that you could explore of historical figures. The estate is much bigger than the chateau and relatively easier to explore than Chambord. The apothecary is surely worth a visit with its quaint yesteryear charm preserved.
Last word
Another accessible region from Paris known for its famous French wine is Champagne (as shown in Emily in Paris). However, if you have limited time and are not planning for a vineyard stay then Champagne may not be very feasible. Loire Valley on the other hand has a diverse offering from wine tasting, history, architecture to a medieval European experience. Also, taking a guided tour is a lot more convenient than driving around the region and finding your own way around. Not many Indians make it to the Loire as most people in our tour were from the US. However, it is indeed an undiscovered gem waiting to be explored and appreciated.
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