Château de Chambord

This is an amazing and amazingly big castle. And a well-visited one. Surrounded by a huge parkland and gardens. You can easily spend the whole day here. To see the insides as well as the outsides, a day probably won't be enough.

We traveled with our Bulldog, so we came to admire the chateau from the outside and to enjoy some (long) walks in the parkland and gardens. Parking was easy and convenient (Parking Lot 0 - the closest to the castle). Only a 5 Euro fixed rate.

Building began back in 1519 and was only completed in the 17th Century under Louis XIV! After that the setting of the parkland and gardens began and in the 18th Century the setting of the interior. During the Revoution, the chateau was plundered, but luckily wasn't destroyed. 1809 Napeoleon gave this chateau as a gift to maréchal Berthier. It went through different hands after that. During the WWII it was a depot to store arts and crafts. Since 1981 it's a World Heritage Site from UNESCO.

It's quite the impressive architecture. Inside Versailles surely is the more impressive one. But just from the outside, I would say this one beats Versailles.

The gardens are beautiful and there are long walks along the water. It's a very nice thing to do and many visitors actually do so. You could also rent a electric cart or bikes if you prefer. We walked and enjoyed it very much (even though quite hot on that sunny summer day).

Close to the entrance and parking lot are several restaurants and shops. We did enjoy some wine tastings and bought some nice white wine. Souvenir shops and public toilets are located there as well.

There's really a lot of green surrounding the big castle area and is perfect for a nice picnic with picture-perfect castle views. A really great visit and well worth the fair entrance fee.