Chateau de Brou - Noyant-de-Touraine, Loire Valley

Chain:

RDS

Location:

Between Chinon, Azay le Rideau and Loches, on the road to the Vallee des Rois.

Facilities:

• Air-conditioning - Cooling only or Reverse cycle
• Bicycle hire
• Meeting facilities
• On-site manager
• Restaurant

Single room

Double /Twin room

Triple room

Check-in Time:

15.00

Check-out Time:

12.00

Children & Extra Guest Policy:

Free extra bed for 1 child under 12 y.o. sharing room with parents. Meals to be paid locally.
2 children under 12 y.o. sharing room parents = triple room. Meals to be paid locally.

Things to do:

- Bike hire - Cooking lessons - Massage

Local Attractions:

- Tennis (4 km) - Horse-riding (4 km) - Golf course NC holes (25 km)
Chateau du Rivau
A harmoniously laid out castle with splendid grounds. This proud-looking castle was built in the 13C, and fortified in the 15C by Pierre de Beauvau, Charles VII's chamberlain. It still has its dry moat, drawbridge, keep and garret from that era. The grounds were laid out based on 15C documents. They call to mind both the end of medieval times and the beginning of the humanist period. The Eleanor of Aquitaine Garden contains a display of plants with magical properties, whether their powers be good or evil.
Chateau Azay-le-Rideau
A marvellous Renaissance building. This marvellously graceful and white chateau (called Azay-le-Brule, in honour of a massacre, until the 18C) was built from 1518 to 1527, by Gilles Berthelot. It is dominated by turrets that still evoke Medieval times. This architectural gem was partly built over the river Indre and is reflected in the water that surrounds it. The L-shaped chateau was once a fortified manor and is now an elegant edifice. Its exterior facade is richly decorated and shows the period's refinement. The dormer windows have a clearly Renaissance decoration, with elements such as pilasters, interlacing patterns and other details inspired from Antiquity. The interior displays remarkably well-preserved decoration and furniture: 16C and 17C tapestries from Brussels and Antwerp, canopy chairs. The main staircase stands in the middle of the main dwelling. It was one of the first straight interior staircases, so has a straight ramp, and is adorned with a coffered ceiling.
St. Symphorien Church - Azay-le-Rideau
An edifice built on very ancient remains. This church dates originally from the 11C and was regularly remodelled until the 16C. It still has remains of an Early Christian building dating from the 5C and 6C. Thus, it is one of the region's earliest Christian buildings.
A journey in Chinon's Medieval past. You can see the remains of timber-framed Medieval houses while roaming Chinon's alleys, notably in Rue Voltaire or Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The Grand Carroi was the town centre in Medieval times. The most interesting sights are pretty houses such as the Maison Rouge (14C), Hotel des Etats generaux (15C and 16C) or Hotel du Gouvernement (17C). Chinon would not be Chinon if, since Rabelais' time, the famous Caves-Painctes did not exist. It is here that the writer described as the place where Pantagruel came to quench his thirst. These quarries cut into the hillside were once adorned by wall paintings. During your tour, you can visit churchs like St. Etienne, with a magnificent Flamboyant Gothic portal and St. Mexme, from the 10C and 11C. Finally, the St. Radegonde Chapel with its fine Romanesque portal. It is here that Radegonde, wife of King Clotaire I, came to see the hermit that lived on this site, in order to seek advice about founding the St. Croix monastery in Poitiers. The hermit's cell was later converted into a chapel.
Wine and Cooperage Living Museum Chinon: An initiatory journey in the wine industry. By request at the tourist office. Fitted out in cellars, this living museum enables you to discover work in the vineyards, wine-making and barrel manufacturing.
Chateau de Chinon
A fortress marked by the memory of famous people. This vast fortress (400 x 70 m) was built by Henry II Plantagenet in the 12C. It was purchased by Cardinal de Richelieu in the 17C, before being progressively abandoned. In the 19C, Prosper M?rim?e performed major restoration work on the site. The fortress was built on a rocky outcrop and is made up of several elements. The Middle Castle can be accessed via the 14C, tall and flat Clock Tower. From the South courtines, you can see a fine view of the town's roofs and Vienne Valley below. Another interesting feature of your tour is the Coudray Fort. This is located at the end of the castle. Its dungeon was built by Philip II Augustus at the start of the 13C, before housing Templars under Philip IV, the Fair. Finally, the Royal dwellings have retained the memory of Joan of Arc. In this part of the building, you can also see sumptuous tapestries from Flanders (16C and 17C), as well as a 17C Aubusson tapestry.
Chateau of Usse Sleeping Beauty's palace. Situated on the edge of the forest of Chinon, overlooking the Indre, the ch?teau of Usse inspired Charles Perrault's tale of Sleeping Beauty. This white mass made of the local tuff stone was built on the foundations of an 11C fortress. The present building dates from the 15 and 16C. The building structure is in a U-shape and has been altered on several occasions. The fa?ades are in Gothic style (on the outside) and Renaissance style in the main courtyard. The north wing was demolished in the 17C to allow the castle to look onto the River Indre and the gardens. The old chapel and large gallery have sumptuous 16C tapestries of Flemish origin. The Guard Room has a magnificent 17C ceiling and contains an astonishing collection of oriental weapons. The King's Room, hung with silk with a Chinese pattern, was prepared in case the king came that way. Finally, the chapel built in the park from 1520 to 1538, is an absolute gem; its Renaissance facade is decorated with the initials of the builders. Inside are stalls sculpted with 16C figures and a Virgin with children (enamelled earthenware) by Luca della Robbia.
The Villandry gardens are the epitome of the Italian gardens of the Renaissance period which changed with the seasons, continually offering a different picture. On the three terraces, there is a delightful water garden lined with lime trees, an ornamental garden composed of boxwood hedges and flower beds in geometric shapes such as crosses of Malta, Languedoc and the Basque country and an ornamental vegetable garden with a wide variety of colours created by vegetables and fruit trees. Finally, between the vegetable garden and the church is the herb garden, containing aromatic, medicinal or culinary herbs. From the top of the keep, there is an excellent view of the orderly, well-kept parterres, enhanced by canals, fountains and small cascades, bringing an element of freshness. It is one of the most beautiful parks in France.
Chateau de Villandry (Spanish decor and furnishings)
Built at the end of the Renaissance, the ch?teau of Villandry has retained the keep of the earlier fortress. Announcing the premises of classical architecture, its interior decor is particularly impressive. The chamber with the 13C Mudejar ceiling from Toledo was designed by the Spaniard, Carvallo, who supplied the Spanish furniture and paintings for the ch?teau.
Chateau de Langeais
The austere exterior walls of this Early Renaissance chateau conceal a sumptuous interior. The feudal stronghold of Langeais, with its high walls, round towers, crenellated sentry walk and drawbridge, has survived intact through the centuries. Built between 1465 and 1470 by Jean Bourre, Louis XI's treasurer (1423-83), the castle houses untold treasures, antique furniture and fine tapestries; note, in particular, the tapestries portraying the Nine Heroes and some mille-fleurs. Above all, savour the authentic atmosphere of the 15C and the Renaissance.

Getting There:

Follow the exit sign "Saint Maure" on highway A10 (No 25) Or the National road N10 to Chinon. In Noyant after the two traffic lights, take the first road to the right.