Castles of the Loire from Paris. Tours to France. Walking tour "Historic Center of Paris"

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Excursion days: any day from Monday to Sunday
Start of the excursion: 9:00
Meeting point for mini groups: at Monceau metro station, line 2 ()
Trip duration: 12 hours
Transport: comfortable minivan for 8 passengers
Included: driver-guide services, transport, toll roads and parking, wine tasting
Not included: entrance fees, personal expenses, meals ()
Cost for a mini group of 5 - 8 people: 100€ per person
Individual excursion:
1 – 4 people: 650€
5 - 6 people: 700€
7 - 8 people: 750€

DESCRIPTION OF THE TRIP:

This is one of the largest and most beautiful castles of the Loire. It was erected under the leadership of the Great French King Francis I according to a project developed by the brilliant Leonardo Da Vinci. The castle is so magnificent that it is hard to believe that it was never the main royal residence. A sort of “modest” hunting lodge for the French king.

- Castle of Five Queens or Castle-Bridge. From the modern parking lot to the castle, you need to walk a few hundred meters along a wide, shaded alley to take a big leap in time back several centuries. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Middle Ages, be amazed by the charm of the women's castle, which, by the way, is considered the most beautiful in the entire Loire Valley, learn about palace intrigues, conspiracies and betrayals. The visit also includes a walk through the park and a visit to the museum. wax figures, which is located on the grounds of the castle.

Amboise / Clos Lucet

The history of Amboise is so rich that it is difficult to overestimate its importance in the fate of medieval France. Here you can visit at your own discretion to choose from royal castle fortress Amboise or the estate of Clos Luce, where the great Florentine Leonardo lived and worked. Or perhaps you will be so perspicacious that you will have time to visit both places, especially since each of them is attractive in its own way and is worth your attention.

Blois

The last stop is the town of Blois, which during the Hundred Years' War was temporarily the capital of the French kingdom. You will learn some of the secrets of the royal castle of the same name, as well as about significant historical figures who made their mark here in their time.

Excursion to the Castles of the Loire

With a visit to five castles (Chambord, Cheverny, Chenonceau, Amboise and Blois)

general information

Description of the excursion to the Castles of the Loire

with a visit to 5 castles (Chambord, Cheverny, Chenonceau, Amboise and Blois)

Excursion through the most beautiful royal residences of the 13th-15th centuries in the Loire Valley. To the Gothic castle of Blois and the medieval castle of Amboise. To the elegant Chateau de Chambord, the private castle of Cheverny and the main pearl of the Loire - the Chateau de Chenonceau with a wonderful park and a unique yew labyrinth, decorated with sculptures of caryatids.

1 - First stop inexcursion to one of the most beautiful Renaissance castles of the Loire - Chambord, surpassing all other castles in its splendor, symbolizes the heyday of the Italian Renaissance in France under King Francis l. The appearance of Chambord combines elements of Italian and French Renaissance architecture. The solution to the roof is interesting: it represents a whole city of various turrets, stairs and passages, and was once called “the outline of Constantinople in one building.” The central staircase of the castle with a double spiral rises to all floors up to the roof, built according to the drawings of the great Leonardo da Vinci,

2 - After visiting the royal castle of Chambord, we move to the private castle of Cheverny, one of the most famous castles of the Loire, boasts not only its exquisite decoration, but also its enviable consistency - for almost eight centuries, although with some interruptions, the same family lived here - Huro de Vibro.
Cheverny has very well preserved rich furnishings, including furniture, tapestries, a collection of weapons and armor and many paintings, including the great masters François Clouet and Raphael and his school. There is a beautifully furnished children's room, several bedrooms, a living room, an office, and a dining room. There are beautiful household items and antiques everywhere, but they are not dead, and it seems as if they are still in use. In a word, the castle is alive, it breathes and lives fully modern life, carefully preserving its history.

In addition, Cheverny is a famous hunting lodge. The team participating in the hound hunt travels 2 times a week from October to the end of March to their nearest property for a real hunt according to all the rules of the Middle Ages! There are about a hundred tricolor French dogs in the kennel; the right side of each dog is decorated with a specially cut emblem in the form of a victorious letter V - the first letter of the surname of the owners of the house - Vibraye. A very impressive trophy room has also been preserved here, where more than 2,000 deer antlers are displayed.

3 - Having visited Cheveny, we will proceed further to the beautiful and elegant Chenonceau. Thanks to non-standard architectural solutions, a visual feeling is created that the castle stands on the water. Today, Chenonceau Castle is one of the most visited castles in France - the main pearl of the Loire Valley. Unofficially called the “Castle of the Dames” - in memory of its mistresses, who left a very significant mark not only in the history of this magnificent estate, but also in the history of the entire French state. The castle has preserved interior items, paintings, and furniture from the 16th-17th centuries. The castle is surrounded by magnificent gardens of Queen Catherine de' Medici and King Henry II's favorite lady, Diane de Poitiers. Get lost in their plant labyrinth and indulge yourself

4 - Next, transfer to the castle of Amboise. The castle was built on the rocky bank of the Loire River and dominates the city of Amboise with its grandeur. Having ceased to be exclusively a fortification, the castle of Amboise in the 15th century. turned into the royal residence of Charles VIII. The king orders to rebuild the residence, which had become cramped and seemed wretched. The Florentine ambassador, having seen the drawings of the future castle, exclaimed: “He wants to make a city out of his castle!” The castle has additional charm and lives up to its name - the Garden of France. It is certainly worth visiting the chapel of Saint-Hubert, where the ashes of Leonardo da Vinci, who spent his last years life in the castle of Clos Luce, located a kilometer from Amboise. There are many mysteries hidden by the walls ancient castle To this day, the solution to the mystery that Leonardo told King Francis I about the materialization formula before his death is unknown.

5 - Latest stop at royal Blois, the favorite residence of Kings Louis Xll and Francis l. The castle holds one of the first places in France in terms of the number of high-profile historical events per square meter. The Duke of Guise was killed in the corridors of the castle, and a couple of weeks later the mother of Queen Catherine de Medici died here. It is said that she kept her famous poisons in secret places built into the baseboards behind some of the 237 narrow wooden panels covered with carvings.

Peculiarities. The architecture of the Château de Blois is very eclectic. Somewhere there are details inherent in the architecture of the Renaissance; baroque and classicism predominate in the interior decoration.

The main entrance of the castle is decorated with a statue of Louis XII sitting on a horse. If you go through the arch, you will find yourself in the courtyard. The castle buildings located in it are architectural heritage of several historical eras.

The interior of the castle is very impressive. Pay attention to the Hall of the States General, where the king administered justice. Along the edges there are antique sculptures decorating it. On the second floor you can visit the private chambers that once belonged to Louis XII, Catherine de Medici, Mary Stuart, Francis I and Francis II. All of them are richly decorated with beautiful stained glass windows, tapestries, luxurious furniture and fireplaces.

The beauty of the Blois Castle in France is not the main thing, although it is undoubtedly beautiful. The main thing is how the atmosphere of history is conveyed here, as if you are somehow involved in it.

We guarantee a high level of professionalism of our guide and great amount interesting information, which will be conveyed to you in an easy way with a dose of healthy humor.

At seven o'clock in the evening we leave for Paris.

That's all, we wish you a pleasant stay and impressions

The travel company Travel Plan "DSBW Travel Collection", as a specialist in France, offers in 2020 not only Paris tours for a week or a weekend, with and without a different set of excursions. Our main difference is that we specialize in sightseeing tours by province of France for mini-groups of up to 12 people, which provide the greatest level of comfort on an excursion trip.

We have a wonderful program on a regular basis "Paris - Normandy - Brittany"(held once every two weeks), "Exclusive trip to Normandy - Brittany"(held several times a year), wonderful tour(carried out quite rarely), and also "Colors of Provence" and others interesting tours in the South of France. On our tours you will find the Provinces of France: Normandy, Brittany, Provence, Cote d'Azur, Languedoc-Roussillon, Aquitaine, Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace.

In the South of France, we offer the “Colors of Provence” tour - a region that we know and love well, there is a wonderful exclusive program “Travel through Southern provinces France" for 8 days and his older brother" big Adventure in the Southern provinces of France + Colors of Provence" for 12 days. This is truly a great trip, full of impressions, but not tiring, despite the duration and abundance of cities and attractions visited. All tours, of course, can be combined with an extension of stay in Nice or holidays in other resort towns Cote d'Azur France.

Perhaps it is worth mentioning another program “Spain - France - Catalonia”. It is good to combine it with a holiday on the Spanish Costa Brava.

The programs are carried out on our comfortable buses with experienced drivers and guides. Our transport allows us not only to provide a high class of service, but also to guarantee all stated tour dates. We wish you vivid impressions from traveling around France.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Excursion days: any day of the week
Start: 9:00 am
Meeting point for mini groups: Monceau metro station, line 2 ()
Duration: 12 hours
Transport: comfortable minivans for 8 passengers
Included in the price: driver-guide services, transport, toll roads and parking, wine tasting
Not included in the price: entrance fees, meals (), personal expenses.

Cost in a mini group up to 8 people: 100€ per person

Cost of an individual excursion:
1-4 people: 650€ per group
5-6 people: 700€ per group
7-8 people: 750€ per group

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXCURSION:

Chambord

The first stop at around 11:15 is a unique “hunting lodge” of truly royal proportions, founded in 1519 by the greatest French king Francis the First according to the design of the brilliant Florentine Leonardo da Vinci.
The driver-guide will tell you the history of the castle and help you purchase tickets to visit Chambord.
In total, you will have about 2 hours to explore Chambord.
For a subsequent visit, all the other Loire castles are selected as close as possible; you will spend no more than 20 minutes on the road from castle to castle.

Chenonceau

An excursion to the castles of the Loire is an incredible immersion into the fairy-tale world of French princes and kings. Having cast aside all doubts, we can firmly say that they are rightfully considered one of the most beautiful places architectural France. Luxurious royal buildings stretch along both banks of the deep Loire River. There are 45 royal palaces in this area, but in reality there are many more.

During our excursion you will see the most famous castles Loire Valley:

Amboise - formerly a medieval fortress, gave way to a royal residence during the reigns of King Charles VIII and Francis I. Many scientists and European artists visited and worked in the courtyard of Amboise at the invitation of the sovereign, one of them was Leonardo da Vinci, whose grave is located in the chapel of the castle.
Chenonceau - the property of the crown and the royal residence, the Chenonceau castle is unique, largely due to its original design, women have always loved it, they ruled from it and sought protection here: Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de Medici, Louise of Lorraine... Today, Chateau de- Chenonceau is rightfully considered the most beautiful and, after Versailles, the most visited castle in France.
Chambord is a castle that is the largest and most prestigious representative of the French Renaissance. Here you can see the “marriage and mistress” staircase, which was built according to the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci;
Blois - was the favorite residence of French kings for centuries, starting with Louis XII, who was born in Blois in 1462, it was from here that the city began its journey to Orleans. The castle also provides a fascinating insight into the architecture and history of different eras;
Clos-Lucé - is a place of interpretation and synthesis of knowledge that is aimed at maximizing the audience that wants to discover the world of Leonardo da Vinci. During a tour of the castles of the Loire, you can follow in the footsteps of his life and discover the brilliant inventor.
Cheverny - built in the Renaissance style with classical influence, expressed in niches decorated with magnificent busts, which gives the facade elegance and lightness. Compared to other castles, such as Chambord or Blois, whose interior is practically empty, Cheverny houses stunning examples of furniture from the era of Louis XIII.

Your preliminary program:
09:00 - departure to castles from the hotel in Paris;
11:40 - arrival at the first and largest castle in the valley - Chambord. With admiration, you can visit it and take a walk in the castle park.
12:40 - moving to the city of kings- Blois. Upon arrival, you will be able to explore the castle, which combines a mixture of styles from different centuries, and you also have access to free time for a walk around the city or for a lunch meal.
14:00 - departure to Amboise and visit the magnificent castle-fortress, as well as his unusual garden. Here you can go tasting Loire wines, walk around the city, and buy souvenirs.
15:30 -moving and external inspection Clos-Lucé- the castle where Leonardo Da Vinci lived and worked. Then we'll go straight to the last and most beautiful castle –Chenonceau, which is popularly called "the castle of ladies."
18:00 – departure to Paris (to a hotel or any place convenient for you in Paris).

*V summer time Castles and their gardens are open longer, so schedules may vary.

Note to tourists: for children under 18 years of age, a discount is possible upon presentation of a student ID card at the entrance to the castles. Entrance fee to castles ranges from 11€ to 14.50€.In each of the castles you can use an audio guide. If you are traveling with children, then a visit to the park will be interesting for you "Mini-castles of France", in which a child can feel like Guliver in the Land of Lilliput. The park houses almost all the palaces of the Loire, and it is also not far from the Amboise castle. Carefully, visiting the park is possible only in the summer (from April to November)! With an individual excursion, a visit to the castle is possible Cheverny.

Special offer: If among you there are lovers of French wines, then you can visit the cellars of local winemakers with a tasting. Gourmets can dine in one of the village restaurants in the towns of Amboise or Blois on the banks of the Loire.

Excursion route: This tour starts from your hotel in Paris, with an accompanying driver or guide, the first castle you will visit is Chambord, is located at a distance of 185 km from Paris, then the castles Blois(inspection of the external facade), Amboise, Clos-Lucé(inspection of the external facade) and Chenonceau.

*route individual excursions can be adjusted.

The price of the excursion includes: transport services (toll roads, parking), services Russian speaking guide or accompanying driver, tasting of Loire wines.
The price of the excursion does not include: entrance fees to castles, personal expenses.
Terms of booking and cancellation of our services

Excursion to the castles of the Loire: tariffs

Private excursion to the castles of the Loire

Group excursion to the castles of the Loire

*price per person
**For children from 3 to 10 years old discount - 15% of the excursion cost

Chateau Chambord Chateau Amboise Chateau Amboise
Loire River Clos-Lucé Chenonceau
Chenonceau Garden of Chenonceau Queen's Bedchamber at Chenonceau Castle