CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD: MOST IMPRESSIVE CASTLE IN THE LOIRE

JUNE 2026

This May I went on a castle & garden trip in the Loire region. Chateau de Chambord was on top of my list and I absolutely fell in love with this castle. Definitely the most spectacular castle in the region, with some very original design details. The premises are so large, you can easily spend a day here. Make sure to factor in time for a lovely lunch, as there is a little “village” next to the castle, or bring your picknick gear to make the most out of the day.

Practical information

I didn’t book tickets for Chateau de Chambord in advance. Generally, there are plenty of tickets available to buy onsite. Chateau de Chambord has different tariffs for visitors from the EU (€ 21) and outside the EU (€ 31). You can actually see loads of the castle without buying a ticket, as there are several biking lanes passing the premises. So if you just want to have a picknick with a pretty backdrop, you don’t need any tickets. Chateau de Chambord is open year-round, check the opening hours here.

The tickets give access to the castle and the formal gardens. I didn’t do my research before visiting the castle and didn’t know you had to buy separate tickets for the horses and knights show. It definitely sounds like a fun thing to do with kids, but we didn’t discover this option in time. There is a small café in the castle itself, but I preferred having lunch near the entrance, where you will find several restaurants with a lovely terrace and an extensive menu. These restaurants are also accessible without a castle ticket. The visit to the castle takes about 2 hours, so make sure to have your timing right, so you can also enjoy a good French lunch with a local wine. The Loire is knows for its delicious white wines, so make sure to taste them 😉

Chateau de Chambord is a very popular castle and it sure gets crowded. As the castle is large, people do spread out and I didn’t mind it too much.

Chateau de Chambord

Chateau de Chambord is definitely one of the most spectacular castles I have ever visited. It is the largest one in the Loire region and you need plenty of time to explore. What I particularly loved is that there is no specific order to visit the rooms. The setup of the castle encourages you to roam freely through all the rooms and there are balcony type of walkways that connect the different wings of the castle. The castle was built in 1519 and was commissioned by Francois I. Louis the XIV also lived here, just to give you an idea of how opulent the castle is. Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his live in the Loire region and apparently he designed the central staircase of Chateau de Chambord. The spiral staircase is one of the most special things of Chateau de Chambord, it is so unlike anything I have ever seen. The spiral staircase has an inner and outer rotation, so you would never have to pass anyone on these stairs.

The other area that I specifically loved about Chateau de Chambord is the rooftop. You are allowed to visit the rooftop and walk between the towers with the typical round details. This truly felt like you were entering a different era.

I wouldn’t visit Chateau de Chambord for the gardens. We admired them from the rooftop and while they are pretty, they don’t have a lot of flowers. This might be different in summer when there are seasonal flowers, but at the end of May not a lot was in bloom. I did love the vegetable gardens near the stables and the alleyways lined with trees.