King me!

Versailles' famed Hall of Mirrors

One of the few requests the husband had when I was planning our trip to Paris was that he wanted to see a castle. I knew this would not be a problem. It's hard to spit in Europe and not hit a castle - especially in France's Loire Valley which boasts more than 300 castles over 310 square miles (You can do the math - that equates to almost one castle per square mile!) 

So with so many castles in striking range from Paris, why pick just one when we could see several? That's just what we did. Over two days, we visited four very different French chateaux - the over-the-top Versailles, the masculine Chambord, the quaint Nitray and the romantic Chenonceau. 

Our first stop was the Palace of Versailles - once home to Louis XIV, Napoleon, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. This is an easy trip from Paris. In fact, the Metro will take you right to there from the heart of the city in about a half hour. We checked their website before heading out, realizing that to get the most out of France's most visited castle, we'd have to get there early. We arrived just as Versailles was throwing open its doors for the day. And man, if this was a non-busy time, we couldn't tell. Thousands of tourists shuffled slowly from room to room, packed in like sardines. Enjoyable, it was not. 

Gorgeous ceiling at Versailles.

In truth, the furnishings in all the castles we saw were not all that unique. You're probably picturing in your head exactly what we saw - gilded desks, beds so high they require a stool to get into, ornate armoires, etc. The design style seems to eschew comfort and functionality for oohs and ahhs.  At Versailles, it's best to turn your gaze to the ceiling (you'd have to elbow your way to the front to see the furniture anyway). Charles Le Brun is responsible for the majority of the ceiling art here and it is masterful.

The Versailles Orangerie. 

When you've had enough of the crowds, head outside to explore the grounds. This was the highlight of Versailles for us. Beautifully manicured gardens extend on three sides of the palace, each one more beautiful than the last. Our favorite was the Orangerie with more than 1,000 orange trees. It was the quietest and it looked like something right out of Alice in Wonderland. 

On the back side of the palace, you'll find the largest of the gardens at Versailles with towering mazes of hedges, statues and the Grand Canal - a cross-shaped, man-made canal big enough to hold rowing events. This garden is also home to some of the most iconic palace fountains including the Apollo Fountain.  

The Apollo Fountain at Versailles.

The grounds are expansive and if Paris has worn you out (like it had us by this point in the week), I'd recommend renting one of the golf carts to explore. We didn't, but I really wish we would have. 

Later in the week, we took a bus tour to the Loire Valley to check out the other three castles on our list. It's about a two-hour drive from Paris to the Loire Valley. Unfortunately, it's not particularly scenic along the way. Once you get off the highway though, the French countryside will enchant you. I can't count the number of towns we drove through that we would have loved the chance to explore. Maybe next trip...

Chambord

Our first stop on this day was Chambord. This massive chateaux was built as a hunting lodge for King Francis I. It was apparently the inspiration for the Beast's castle in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." There are no gardens here and many of the rooms are unfurnished (we learned that staff had to bring in the furniture when the king was scheduled to visit).

Double-helix staircase

But what the chateau lacks in creature comforts, it makes up for with interesting architectural elements like the roof inspired by an alliance with the Ottoman Empire and the central staircase. The castle features a unique double-helix spiral staircase that is rumored to have been designed by Leonardo Da Vinci. It is impossible to see one staircase from the other, making it ideal for a king with both a wife and a mistress... So scandalous!

Gate at Chateau Nitray

From Chambord, we traveled to Chateau Nitray for lunch. Chateau Nitray is a privately owned working vineyard (helps pay for the upkeep on those drafty old castles). It's a very good example of the actual size and scope of many of the Loire Valley chateaux. Our tour did not include any time inside the actual chateau (since it is occupied by the family) but we were able to enjoy the grounds which included a chapel and a pigeonry in addition to the vineyard.

Red table wine

Naturally, wine was a big focus of our stop at Nitray. It's seriously ridiculous how cheap wine can be in France. The most we paid for a bottle there (you can bring up to two back to the U.S.) was 8,50 euro. Most bottles were 4 euro making it more reasonable to buy a whole bottle of wine than a glass of Coke in a Parisian restaurant. Vive la France!

Chenonceaux over the River Cher

Our final stop that day was at Chenonceau. I feel like I have been dreaming of visiting this picturesque castle since the first day of French class eons ago. Chenonceau is on the River Cher - quite literally. A portion of the main building (the gallery) is built over the river to stunning effect.

This castle has an interesting history to it. (And if you're watching "Reign" on the CW, you'll recognize some of the names involved.) King Henry II (son of Francis) gave the chateau to his mistress Diane de Poitiers who lovingly cared for it and added some spectacular gardens. Upon the death of Henry II, his wife Queen Catherine de Medici secured it for herself and forced Diane out. Fiercely jealous of Diane, Catherine later added more gardens, leaving her own mark on the property.

H for King Henry

Chenonceau gardens

Chenonceau is a small castle - the kind you could almost envision being able to clean on your own. The inside is easily viewable in an hour or so. Make sure to check out the grounds, too. The gardens are really something. I wish we would have had more time to explore them. I think next time, we'll take a train out to Chenonceau (there is a stop right on the property).