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Domaine National de Chambord

The Loire Valley


The 54-sq-km hunting reserve around the Château de Chambord – the largest walled park in Europe – is reserved for the exclusive use of very high-ranking French government officials. About 10 sq km of the park, north and northwest of the château, is open to the public, with marked trails for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Hire bikes, rosalies (pedal carts), golfettes (electric golf carts), rowboats and electric boats at a rental kiosk near the ±ð³¾²ú²¹°ù³¦²¹»åè°ù±ð (dock) midway between the Château de Chambord and its entrance pavilion. From April to early November, carriage rides (adult/child €11/6) begin at the château's 鳦³Ü°ù¾±±ð (stables).

The reserve is a great place for wildlife spotting, especially during the deer mating season between mid-September and mid-October. Five observatories let you discreetly view the park's residents; set out at dawn or dusk to maximise your chances of spotting stags, boars, red deer and wild sheep. To visit parts of the reserve normally closed to the public, take a 1½-hour Land Rover safari tour conducted by French-speaking guides; most speak at least a bit of English. Call ahead to book.


Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

Nearby The Loire Valley attractions

1. Château de Chambord

0.96 MILES

If you only have time to visit one château in the Loire, you might as well make it the grandest – and Chambord is the most lavish of them all, and the…

2. Cathédrale St-Louis

8.55 MILES

Although Gothic in style, most of this cathedral (including the nave) was rebuilt after a terrible storm in 1678. The stained glass, bearing enigmatic…

4. Maison des Acrobates

8.6 MILES

The façade of Maison des Acrobates, one of the few surviving 15th-century houses in Blois, is decorated with wooden sculptures of figures from medieval…

5. Old City

8.62 MILES

Blois’ medieval and Renaissance old town is well worth a stroll. The façade of Maison des Acrobates – one of Blois' few surviving 15th-century houses – is…

6. Château de Beauregard

8.65 MILES

Smaller and less visited than the Blésois' more famous châteaux, peaceful Beauregard has charms all its own. Built as yet another hunting lodge by…

7. Maison de la Magie

8.74 MILES

This museum of magic occupies the one-time home of watchmaker, inventor and conjurer Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805–71), after whom the American magician…

8. Maison de la BD

8.77 MILES

Bandes dessinées (BD; adult comic books) have achieved the status of an art form in France. This museum, unique in the country, provides a rare…