Chateaux Country 3 days

LOIRE VALLEY

01 September 2009 to 10 April 2010

Day 1: Arrival in Blois in the morning. Free visit of the Royal Castle of Blois, around the same court four wings, four times, four tops of French architecture: the medieval castle built by the Counts of Blois (the Room of the States General), the wing blazing Gothic Louis XII of style, without forgetting the François wing 1st with architecture influenced by Italy, and finally the Gaston wing of Orleans built by Mansart. In the middle of the royal apartments, you will discover the room of the King where according to the tradition the Duke of Guise was assassinated.

Visit of the House of Magic 2000 m2 of exhibition and a new spectacle will transport you in a fantastic universe. Visual effects, sound, illusions, in this single place in Europe you will discover the History of Magic Arts, the magic in image and music, the fantastic Cabinet of Robert-Houdin, surprising animations and the hallucinoscope invented by Gerard Majax. Then discovered of the old city by horse draw carriage (25 minutes).

From the castle, you will discover the Gaston of Orleans wing and the street of the Three Merchants bordered by houses with wood sides, the Church St Nicolas - old Benedictine abbey. Then, you will join the quays of the Loire, offering a very beautiful point of view on the river and will appreciate on the way the Denis Papin street and the town centre, before returning towards the Castle square via the superb “Facade des loges”.

Installation at your hotel.

Dinner in a restaurant of the town centre or at the hotel. Overnight

Day 2: Breakfast. Departure by taxi to the castle of Chambord (free visit). Emblematic palace of the first French Renaissance, the castle of François 1st, listed with the world inheritance of UNESCO, is at the same time vastest and most sumptuous of the Loire château. Started in 1519, work was continued under Henri II and was completed under Louis XIV. Today, the castle presents in its 440 rooms a collection of more than 3000 objets d'art, pieces of furniture, paintings, as well as a remarkable collection of tapestries. Departure by taxi towards Cheverny. Lunch

Taxi to the Chateau de Cheverny. This private castle opened to the visitors since 1922, was used as model to draw Moulinsart by Hergé for Tintin stories. It will astonish you by the richness, the density of its furniture and the authentic charm and refined decoration. You will be able to discover there masterpieces, Tapisseries, rare pieces of furniture etc. The traditions of Hunting are perpetuated there. The kennels shelter today a pack of 100 Franco-English dogs. Return to Blois by taxi.

Dinner in a restaurant of the town centre or at the hotel. Overnight

Day 3: Breakfast. Departure by train towards Amboise Free visit of the Leonardo Da Vinci Park, It was here at the Château du Clos Lucé that Leonardo da Vinci, at the invitation of the King of France Francis I, spent the last three years of his life, putting the finishing touches to his inventions before passing away on 2 May 1519. And its park bring together, in a single place and for the first time, the art and multiple visions of the Tuscan creative genius. Stroll as you please through this knowledge park and explore the world of Leonardo. Watch as the ideas and intuitions of Leonardo da Vinci, by turns civil and military engineer, botanist and architect of genius – take shape before your eyes.
Inside the Château du Clos Lucé : the everyday life of Leonardo da Vinci and his 40 fabulous machines. .

In the Landscaped Itinerary : a voyage of discovery in the company of Leonardo da Vinci and his disciple. Discover the wellsprings of Leonardo's inspiration in the course of an initiatory journey punctuated by 16 giant and actionable machines, 32 transparent canvases (3 to 4 m high) depicting the Master's sketches or details of his paintings, and 8 sound stations featuring the voice of the celebrated French actor Jean Piat.
In the hall : a Leonardo de Vinci “stage design”, a giant picture show and the flying machine.
Located in the middle of the Landscaped Itinerary, the Hall is designed to give us an insight into the world of Leonardo da Vinci. Lunch.

Visit of the castle of Amboise, the cradle of the Renaissance: Built in the XV and XVI centuries on the orders of Charles VIII, Louis XII and François 1^st, the castle was one of the first true ”Royales” residences. In the footsteps of the great kings of France you will discover prestigious architectural marks in the Gothic and renaissance style. Still today the chateau hold a prestigious furniture collection, magnificently protected

A tea salon located near to the château will give you the opportunity of a “gouter” where you will have the pleasure to savour a chocolate patisserie, house speciality combined with a original savoury hot drink.

Return by train to Blois