France Guide
The Loire
Château de Chenonceau
Unlike the Loire, the gentle River Cher flows so slowly and passively between the exquisite arches of the Château de Chenonceau (daily: first 2 weeks Feb & first 2 weeks Nov 9am–5pm; last 2 weeks Feb & last 2 weeks Oct 9am–5.30pm; first 2 weeks March & first 2 weeks Oct 9am–6pm; mid-March to mid-Sept 9am–7pm; last 2 weeks Sept 9am–6.30pm; Nov 16 to Jan 9am–4.30pm; €9; 
www.chenonceau.com ) that you're almost always assured of a perfect reflection.
During summer, aim to visit first thing in the morning if possible. Visits are unguided – a relief, for there's an endless array of arresting tapestries, paintings, ceilings, floors and furniture on show. It's worth seeking out the numerous portraits of the château's female owners. On the ground floor the François I room features two contrasting images of the goddess Diana; one is a portrait of Diane de Poitiers by Primaticcio, and the other represents a relatively aristocratic Gabrielle d'Estrées. The room also features works by or attributed to Veronese, Tintoretto, Correggio, Murillo and Rubens, among others.
The section of the château that spans the Cher is relatively empty. T Catherine de Médicis used to hold wild parties here, all naked nymphs and Italian fireworks. She intended the door on the far side to continue into another building on the south bank, but the project was never begun, and these days the gallery leads to quiet, wooded gardens. During the war, the Cher briefly formed the boundary between occupied and "free" France, and the current proprietors, who rode out Nazi occupation, like to make out that the château's gallery was much used as an escape route. Given that their adjacent farm quartered a German garrison, it would have been a risky place to cross. In July and August, as part of the "Nocturne à Chenonceau", the gardens and château are lit up between 10pm and 11.30pm, with atmosphere provided by classical music played through speakers. Also in the summer months, you can take boats out onto the Cher.