Loir-et-Cher is a department of contrasts and superlatives: it is home to Chambord, the largest château in the Loire Valley, and the Sologne Forest, one of the largest woodlands in France. Between the Loire Valley to the north, the grain-growing plains of the Beauce to the east and the game-rich ponds of Sologne to the south, this region offers an exceptional variety of landscapes where the châteaux stand as landmarks in history.
Chambord is the masterpiece of the reign of François I: a palace-castle with 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and a double-helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, set in the middle of a forest surrounded by a 32-kilometre wall. Not far away, Cheverny, a masterpiece of the Louis XIII style, inspired Hergé to create the Castle of Moulinsart in the Adventures of Tintin. Blois, the royal residence from Louis XII to Gaston d’Orléans, encapsulates four centuries of French architecture within a single building.
The Sologne, with its ponds and bridle paths, is also the land of aristocratic hunting lodges, fox hunting and autumn gatherings. Its châteaux and estates, often closed to visitors, dot the forest roads with their romantic silhouettes and slate roofs.