Château de Chaumont

Introducing Château de Chaumont

It’s a short, healthy climb up to the 15th- and early 16th–century Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire (02 54 51 26 26; adult/under 18yr/18-25yr €6.50/free/4.50; 9.30am-6.30pm 8 May–mid-Sep, 10am-5pm mid-Sep–7 May, no ticket sales 12.30-1.30pm Oct-Mar), set on a bluff overlooking the Loire. Reached via a wooden drawbridge, the feudal-style castle was bought in 1875 by Princess de Broglie, heiress to the Say sugar fortune, who with her husband added many of its ‘historicist’ (eg neo-Renaissance) features. In the late 1800s, many were the sparkling parties held here – but by the 1930s the poor princess was bankrupt and had to sell the property to the French government. Down the cedar of Lebanon–shaded path from the main entrance are the luxurious écuries (stables), built by the Broglies in 1877. The chateau will be closed for several months in early 2007.

Each year, Chaumont’s park – which affords spectacular river views – plays host to the Festival International des Jardins (02 54 20 99 22; www.chaumont-jardin.com; adult/8-12yr/concession €8.50/4/7; 9.30am-nightfall May–mid-Oct), a themed garden festival with lots of colourful flowers.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009