IMAGES © JEAN-CHRISTOPHE COUTAND, PASHRASH, SHUTTERSTOCK; CHATEAU DE VERRIERES; OLIVIER MARCHAND


CHÂTEAUX 2022 THE GUIDE


Renaissance architecture in France. Sitting on roughly 13,000 acres of land, and featuring more than 400 rooms, it requires a full day’s visit to give it justice. And if the sumptuous interiors don’t make your head spin then the famed double-helix staircase (believed to be the work of Leonardo da Vinci, who lived nearby) certainly will. “Without doubt Chambord’s greatest innovation,” is how it’s described. It leads to a glorious rooftop terrace adorned with domes, towers, cupolas, chimneys and mosaic roofs. There are plenty of cultural events planned this summer including light and pyrotechnics shows, concerts (Sting is


playing on June 28), and medieval-themed activities. www.chambord.org


Château du Haut- Koenigsbourg (Bas-Rhin)


Perched on a forested promontory in the Vosges mountains and constructed from bright red sandstone, this Alsatian château stands out for miles around. Although no one is sure when it was built, it’s certain the vast structure was an important outpost during the Middle Ages. By the 1600s it had been abandoned and wasn’t rebuilt until the German Kaiser Wilhelm II took an interest at the beginning of the 20th century. Over the years, many


film directors have been inspired by the castle, including Jean Renoir (for La Grande Illusion) and Peter Jackson (for The Lord of the Rings). Today it is a major tourist attraction, open all year round, and drawing in half a million visitors a year. www.haut-koenigsbourg.fr/en


Château de Brézé (Maine-et-Loire)


Beneath this Loire Valley château is a labyrinthine complex of underground tunnels, cellars and caverns. “A whole château beneath a château,” is how the owners describe it. “The fortress of Brézé is a voyage into the bowels of the Earth and through


time to a history long forgotten.” Visitors can take a subterranean tour, admiring the fine wines stored deep down. Back at ground level there are alluring medieval elements such as drawbridges and dry moats. www.chateaudebreze.com


Château de Fougères (Ille-et-Vilaine) One of Europe’s largest châteaux, Fougères has been around in one form or another for a thousand years or so. Naturally protected by a marsh and the River Nançon, it features a dozen impressive towers, as well as inner courtyards and gardens, all encircled by ramparts. Perfect for holding out when under ❯❯


Jun/Jul 2022 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 137


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