Perhaps the Loire’s most elegantly proportioned château, the Château de Cheverny (chateau-cheverny.fr; adult/child €15/11) is a perfect blend of symmetry, geometry and aesthetic order. Inside are some of the most sumptuous and elegantly furnished rooms anywhere in the region, virtually unchanged for generations because the same family has lived here, almost continuously, ever since the château’s construction in the early 1600s. Known for its many family-friendly attractions, Cheverny is open 365 days a year.
Highlights on the ground floor include the formal dining room, with 34 painted wooden panels depicting the story of Don Quixote. In the Galerie, keep your eyes open for a certificate signed by US president George Washington (hint: it’s hanging on the wall).
Upstairs are the king’s bedchamber, with ceiling murals and tapestries illustrating stories from Greek mythology, and a children’s playroom complete with toys from the time of Napoléon III. The arms room is full of pikestaffs, claymores, crossbows and suits of armor – including a tiny gilded one made to measure for a four-year-old duke – and a mid-17th-century Gobelins tapestry that’s so well preserved you can still see the reds.
Behind the main château, the 18th-century Orangerie – where many priceless artworks, including (apparently) the Mona Lisa, were stashed during WWII – is now a tearoom. Nearby there’s a labyrinth (maze). The gardens have a picnic area.
You can see some of the château's hunting dogs, a cross between Poitevins and English foxhounds in the kennels – look for them about 50m beyond the giant sequoia, planted around 1870.
Fans of Tintin might find that the Château de Cheverny’s facade looks oddly familiar. Turns out that Hergé used it as a model (minus the two end towers) for Moulinsart (Marlinspike Hall), the ancestral home of Captain Haddock. Devotees large and small may enjoy Les Secrets de Moulinsart (adult/child incl the château €19.50/15), whose interactive exhibits explore the world of Tintin with recreated scenes, thunder and other special effects.
The château's self-guided-tour brochure is available in 12 languages. Kids aged seven to 14 may enjoy Secrets of Cheverny, a free booklet of puzzles and games.
