Hôtel de France

Touraine


Impeccably run by the same couple since 1979, this Best Western–affiliated hotel, right in the centre of town, has 30 rooms, most arrayed around an inner courtyard. Tastefully decorated in a contemporary style, many have views of the château. Offers enclosed bicycle parking. No lift.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Touraine attractions

1. Hôtel du Gouverneur

0.11 MILES

This impressive, 17th-century town house has a double-horseshoe staircase you can see from the street through a carved gateway.

2. Forteresse Royale de Chinon

0.12 MILES

Surrounded by massive walls, this hilltop castle – offering fabulous views across town, river and countryside – is split into three sections separated by…

3. Cité Médiévale

0.16 MILES

François Rabelais (c 1494–1553), whose works include the Gargantua and Pantagruel series, spent part of his childhood in Chinon; you’ll see Rabelais…

4. Musée Le Carroi

0.16 MILES

Refurbished in 2018, this museum features exhibits on the art and archaeology of Chinon and its environs as well as contemporary art, displayed in the…

5. Palais du Bailliage

0.22 MILES

The Gothic Palais du Bailliage was once the residence of Chinon’s bailiwick. Now houses a seasonal hotel.

6. Chapelle Ste-Radegonde

0.63 MILES

Built into a cave above and 500m east of town, this half-ruined Romanesque chapel – constructed around the tomb of a 6th-century hermit – is noteworthy…

7. Musée Rabelais

3.46 MILES

La Devinière, the prosperous farm where François Rabelais (1483 or 1494–1553) – doctor, Franciscan friar, theoretician, author and all-around Renaissance…

8. Château d’Ussé

6.2 MILES

The creamy white towers and slate roofs of the Château d’Ussé offer sweeping views across the flat Loire countryside, the flood-prone Indre River and…