Chambord is a huge chateau with about 400 rooms. Most of these feel a little stark these days because there is very little furniture left after the building was sacked during the French revolution. The chateau was often used by French kings when they came to the region for hunting. Among these were Louis XIII and his son Louis XIV.

The nearby Chateau de Cheverny is especially interesting because descendants of the family that originally constructed the chateau are still living there today. The building is full of furniture and the grounds are beautiful. Take a short walk over to the kennel of about 90 hunting dogs which are used for deer hunts.

The Chateau de Chaumont sits on the cliff overlooking the Loire River, and its unique towers make the chateau look as if it jumped out of a fairy tale. In a sense it did, because supposedly this chateau was used as a model for early Disney animated films.

Chenonceau is the most famous of all the Chateaux of the Loire, and it is magnificent spanning the Cher river as if it were a bridge. Two famous ladies of French history, Katherine de Medici and Diane de Poitiers resided here, but at different times. There was no love lost between these two women, one of whom, Katherine de Medici, was the wife of King Henri II, and the other was his mistress. Both built large gardens which are enjoyed by visitors to this day.

Amboise is an attractive town on the Loire River. The chateau sits high on a hill and overlooks the town. In the small chapel on the chateau grounds the famous Leonardo da Vinci is buried. Leonardo was invited by King Francois I of France, who resided at the Amboise chateau, to live nearby in the Clos Lucé. The latter houses a da Vinci museum today, and it is well worth a visit.

Bike tours in the Loire Valley can be done in groups or by individuals on self guided tours, which cost about half the price of a guided tour. For more information about self guided tours in the Loire Valley click here: Self Guided Tours Loire Valley.