{"id":1487,"date":"2021-05-14T22:45:04","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T03:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.europeanbarging.com\/river-cruise_blog\/?p=1487"},"modified":"2024-02-18T22:57:22","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T04:57:22","slug":"visiting-french-chateaux-from-a-5-night-loire-paddleboat-cruise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europeanbarging.com\/river-cruise_blog\/visiting-french-chateaux-from-a-5-night-loire-paddleboat-cruise\/","title":{"rendered":"Visiting French Chateaux on a 5 Night Loire Paddleboat Cruise"},"content":{"rendered":"

The picturesque views of the Loire<\/strong> Valley<\/strong> are truly enticing enough to make you want to experience the romance and heritage of a Loire<\/strong> paddleboat cruise<\/strong><\/a>. There\u2019s not a minute wasted in these cruises as you explore one chateau after another discovering their secrets and hearing stories about their past.<\/p>\n

Aptly so, Loire may be referred to as France\u2019s Valley of the Kings. The French court has been held in different areas within this location for several periods in Loire’s<\/strong> history<\/strong>. Art consequently flourished along this European waterway as well as evidenced by the extensive collection of privately owned works housed in royal chateaus.<\/p>\n

New for 2022<\/strong> is a 5-day Loire River Cruise aboard the Loire Princess – an 88-passenger paddle boat<\/a>, cruising round trip Nantes, in addition to the current 6-day cruise.\u00a0 Some of the most popular chateaux that you are likely to visit on a Loire<\/strong> paddleboat cruise<\/strong> or barge cruise are:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Ch\u00e2teau d’Azay-le-Rideau – built on a small island in the middle of the Indre River, the ch\u00e2teau as it is seen today was built under Francis I by Gilles Berthelot, a wealthy financier who wanted to incorporate its medieval past alongside the latest architectural styles of the Italian renaissance. The chateau is a French national monument and possesses all the refinement found in the French Renaissance.<\/p>\n

\"Gardens<\/a>Chateau de Villandry \u2014 the Renaissance gardens are the most popular attraction of this chateau, known even throughout the world as Jardins a la Francaise. To get to this chateau, guests get off at Larcay as the cruise barge moors beneath a canopy of weeping willows. French heritage is distinct in the decor, art, and furnishings throughout the interior. Outside, the gardens are lush and beautifully arranged in patterns combining water gardens, flower gardens, as well as vegetable gardens.<\/p>\n

\"Chateau<\/a>Ch\u00e2teau d’Uss\u00e9 – rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries, this stronghold with fortified towers, turrets, and steeples looks like something out of a fairytale. The castle is still inhabited today and takes visitors back to a time of legends and fairytales. It is thought to have inspired Charles Perrault when writing “Sleeping Beauty\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ch\u00e2teau de Brissac, known as the tallest royal residence in France, contains 204 rooms, monumental staircases, and never-ending hallways. Acquired by Ren\u00e9 de Coss\u00e9 in the 16th century, Ch\u00e2teau de Brissac is still owned by the Coss\u00e9-Brissac family. Its park contains some magnificent shady spots under centuries-old trees, and the castle’s spectacular decorations and the breathtaking Belle \u00c9poque theater are not to be missed!<\/p>\n

\"Loire<\/a>If you are looking for a laid-back getaway that puts romance and history together, booking a barge cruise and going on excursions from a <\/strong>Loire<\/strong> Valley<\/strong> cruise<\/strong> is one of your best vacation options.\u00a0\u00a0 The 5-day cruises start at $1400 for 2022.\u00a0 The rate includes the cruise, all meals, beverages, and Wi-Fi.\u00a0 As these ships have a smaller capacity, departures will sell out quickly.\u00a0 Call now to book a great scenic river cruise.\u00a0 888-869-7907<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The picturesque views of the Loire Valley are truly enticing enough to make you want to experience the romance and heritage of a Loire paddleboat cruise. There\u2019s not a minute wasted in these cruises as you explore one chateau after … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1291,1288,1293],"tags":[1429,1339,1437,1272,61,296],"class_list":["post-1487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-croisieurope","category-france","category-short-river_cruises","tag-chateau-cruise","tag-france-cruise","tag-loire-cruise","tag-short-river-cruise","tag-unesco-world-heritage-site","tag-wine-tastings"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t