Amboise
Spartan but efficient, this 114-bed hostel – totally renovated in 2017 and 2018 – is 600m northwest of the entrance to the château, at the downriver tip of Île d’Or. The 30 rooms have space for one to six people, industrial-strength furnishings and attached bath; most beds are bunks. Amenities include free washers and dryers and locked bicycle parking.
Call ahead if you'll be arriving when reception is closed to arrange to receive a key.
7.49 MILES
Spanning the languid Cher River atop a graceful arched bridge, Chenonceau is one of France's most elegant châteaux. It's hard not to be moved and…
28.39 MILES
If you only have time to visit one château in the Loire, you might as well make it the grandest – and Chambord is the most lavish of them all, and the…
22.54 MILES
Villandry's six glorious landscaped gardens à la française are some of France's finest, with more than 6 hectares of kitchen gardens, cascading flowers,…
20.14 MILES
Seven French kings lived in Blois' royal château, whose four grand wings were built during four distinct periods in French architecture: Gothic (13th…
13.91 MILES
This extraordinary museum – an absolute gem! – spotlights France's renowned compagnonnages, guild organisations of skilled craftspeople who have created…
26.53 MILES
Romantic, moat-ringed Azay-le-Rideau is celebrated for its elegant turrets, perfectly proportioned windows, delicate stonework and steep slate roofs…
27.75 MILES
The most medieval of the Loire châteaux, Langeais – built in the 1460s – looks much as it did at the tail end of the Middle Ages, with crenellated…
0.88 MILES
The most exciting Loire château to open to visitors in years, Gaillard is the earliest expression of the Italian Renaissance in France. Begun in 1496, the…
0.22 MILES
Perched atop a rocky escarpment above town, Amboise's castle was a favoured retreat for all of France's Valois and Bourbon kings. Only a few of the…
0.59 MILES
It was at the invitation of François I that Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), aged 64, took up residence in this grand manor house, built in 1471. An admirer…
0.88 MILES
The most exciting Loire château to open to visitors in years, Gaillard is the earliest expression of the Italian Renaissance in France. Begun in 1496, the…
1.77 MILES
Three kilometres south of Amboise, this seven-storey, vaguely Asian 'pagoda' (44m) was built between 1775 and 1778, when blending classical French…
7.49 MILES
Spanning the languid Cher River atop a graceful arched bridge, Chenonceau is one of France's most elegant châteaux. It's hard not to be moved and…
9.3 MILES
This wine estate has a wine museum and offers tastings; the ridge-top château is not open to the public.
7. Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire
10.33 MILES
Set on a strategic bluff with sweeping views along the Loire, Chaumont-sur-Loire is known for three things: the château itself, which has a medieval…
11.19 MILES
Perched quietly beneath an imposing 12th-century donjon (keep), the town of Montrichard, 9km east of Chenonceau, is a perfect spot for a fizzy break. Just…