Hôtel Diderot

Touraine


This gorgeous town house is tucked amid luscious rose-filled gardens and crammed with polished antiques. The owners – Jean-Pierre, who's French, and Jamie, who hails from Florida – impart the sort of charm you’d expect for twice the price. The 26 cheerful rooms are all individually styled, some with flowery wallpaper. No lift. Situated 250m north of place Jeanne d'Arc.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Touraine attractions

1. Chapelle Ste-Radegonde

0.35 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…

2. Forteresse Royale de Chinon

0.39 MILES

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

3. Hôtel du Gouverneur

0.4 MILES

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

4. Cité Médiévale

0.45 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…

5. Musée Le Carroi

0.45 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…

6. Palais du Bailliage

0.51 MILES

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

7. Musée Rabelais

3.71 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

6.09 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…