Sample Tour Day Three

We start day three with a drive along the Loire to Blois. The chateau is famous for its wonderful outside stone staircase, which dates from the time of Francois Premier.
The chateau has been the scene of major restorations lasting nearly fifteen years and can now be seen in all its splendour.

Later in the day we cross the river and head for Chambord  The chateau was conceived by Francois Premier, and began life as a hunting lodge in the Foret de Boulogne.

By 1519 the original building had been pulled down and the chateau that we see today was started. The design was probably by Leonardo de Vinci, although it is not certain how many of his original drawings were incorporated into the building. After twenty years of building by nearly 2,000 workmen most of the chateau was completed. The son of Francois Premier, Henri ll added the west wing and the 440 room chateau was completed by Louis XIV in 1685. At first glance the chateau appears symmetrical, but on closer inspection you notice that no two aspects of the building are the same, chimneys do not match and roof styles vary. It is as if the chateau was built with pieces left over from other chateaux in the area.