What to expect

In the heart of the Loire Valley lies Château de Chenonceau, undoubtedly one of its most beautiful pearls. This castle, built in the 16th century on the beautiful river Cher, is the second most visited historical site in France after the Château de Versailles. And it is true that Chenonceau is in every respect exceptional: an elegant architecture that symbolizes the influence of France, the richest decoration with an impressive collection of works of art, magnificent gardens on the Cher, and finally, a unique destiny that earned it the nickname of "Château des Dames".

Opening hours

Château de Chenonceau is open every day of the year.

January 1st to February 8th: 9:30 to 16:30
February 9 to April 5: 9:30 to 17:00
April 6th to May 29th: 9:00 to 18:00
May 30 to July 5: 9:00 to 19:00
July 6 to August 18: 9:00 to 19:30
August 19 to September 29: 9:00 to 19:00
September 30 to November 11: 9:00 to 18:00
November 12 to December 20: 9:30 to 16:30
December 21st to December 31st: 09:30 to 17:30

Weekends holidays:
Easter (April 20 to 22): 9:00 to 19:00
May 1 and May 8 (April 27 to May 12): 9:00 to 19:00
Ascension (May 30 to June 2): 9:00 to 19:00

Access to Château de Chenonceau

	Access to Château de Chenonceau
Train	From Paris around 1,5 hours : Take the TGV between Paris (gare Montparnasse) and Tours (Gare Saint-Pierre-des-Corps), then the TER Tours-Chenonceaux. From Tours around 25 mn : Take the TER Tours-Chenonceaux. The SNCF railway station is about 400 meters from the Château.
Coach	Access : From the A10 motorway, take exit no. 18 (Château-Renault / Amboise) and then travel about ten kilometers on the D31 (to Amboise) and then 8 km on the D81 to Chenonceaux. GPS coordinates of Château de Chenonceau : 47.3249 et 1.07029 Car park : Free car park.

SOME HISTORY

The female history of the Château de Chenonceau began in 1547 when Henri II offered it to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. The king died about ten years later and it was the turn of his widow, Catherine de Médicis, to regain her rights to the estate. A true artistic rivalry between the two women was born, making Chenonceau a unique place. With Diane's jet of water surrounded by her sumptuous beds, answers a "garden of curiosities" planted with orange trees and roses with menagerie and artificial cave, Catherine. Chenonceau's female destiny continues through the ages. After the White Queen of Lorraine, Catherine de Médicis' daughter-in-law, Diane Dupin, an enlightened spirit and a woman of letters, will save the Château de la Révolution française. Over the centuries the greatest thinkers, the freest and most innovative minds have succeeded one another in Chenonceau.

Today, it has become a symbol of the French way of life, where harmony and serenity clash. You will discover within its walls an exceptional collection of paintings by great masters: Murillo, Le Tintoretto, Nicolas Poussin, Rubens... worthy of the greatest museums. As well as a rare selection of 16th century tapestries from Flanders. The visit will allow you to enter richly furnished and flowered rooms (one of the peculiarities of the places that make it so alive and refined): the rooms of the 5 queens, the large gallery that dominates the Cher, the kitchens built directly in the piers of the bridge, or the green cabinet of Catherine de Médicis. The most beautiful hours of French royalty await you at the bend of each piece.