Chambord Touring -
What you need to know

Château de Chambord Touring - This château is easy to include on a tour if you are based in Blois, as its only a 20 minute drive (just under 20 kms) from Blois centre.

Chambord is just over 2 hours drive from Paris, approx. 130 kms by autoroute & secondary roads. Chambord is about an hour's drive from Ambroise.



This vast Renaissance château (the largest in the Loire & World Heritage listed) with its round towers, tall turrets, numerous chimneys and 440 rooms, is an architectural marvel. It's hard to believe that such a structure could be built on marshland. Since it's construction in 1519 commisioned by King François I, it was almost too grand to inhabit and in fact since the late 1700's, hardly used as residence. When it was used, it was for it's original purpose - a base for royalty who enjoyed hunting wild boar and deer in the surrounding forest. Note that unlike other residential châteaux, there are no elaborate gardens to match the flamboyant architecture of the château. The Château Chambord became the property of the state in 1932.







Chambord Touring TIP: This chateau is open all year round and has the longest opening hours: 9am start everyday and closing times ranging from 5:15 to 7:30pm depending on the time of year (longer during the summer months). For food there are usually crepe and/or waffle stands on your way to the castle from the carpark. There is also a restaurant outside the chateau.


This is a great château to visit just to witness the scale and intricacy of the architecture. There is a double spiral staircase within the castle claimed to have been designed by Leonardo Da Vinci. The château Chambord houses one of the finest collections of tapestries. For those interested, there is also a museum dedicated to hunting.



This château can seem a little too vast and sparcely furnished to warrant an entire day's visit unless you include some of the other activities available during summer/spring, such as the horse show which runs from May to September in adjoining grounds.


Chambord touring TIP:
For other activities, you can hire a bicycle for an hour or more and cycle through the surrounding forest paths (no hills here). Hire is available every day from 1st April to 11th November. Location is by the pier.


Find more information on the official website...


Visit Château de Blois...

Visit Château de Chenonceau...

Visit Château de Cheverny...

Visit Château de Versailles...

Visit Château de Villandry...


Return to Homepage from Chambord touring