The celebrity wedding of Eva Longoria, star of Desperate Housewives and Tony Parker, NBA basketball chamption was not the most auspicious fete in the history of Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte. (more…)
On October 13 (the unlucky Friday the 13th), 1307, supposedly all the Knights Templar in France were simultaneously arrested by agents of Philip the Fair on the strength of so-called revelations of a few unworthy and degraded members.
Chateau du Clos Luce is where Leonard de Vinci spent the last three years of his life. King Francois I invited Leonardo da Vinci and he bestowed on him an annual pension of 700 golden crowns and gifted him Chateau du Clos Luce. (more…)
Chateau de Chambord was commissioned in 1510 by the young King Francois definitely an egomaniac when he was only 25 years of age, to help establish his power. He was not content with the amazing chateaux of Blois and Amboise. (more…)
The Val de Loire is a majestic region awarded world heritage listing because of its amazing chateaux.The kings of France, seduced by the temperate climate and the game-filled forests constructed their these incredible Loire Valley castles. They surrounded themselves with the greatest architects and artiests of this era. (more…)
Renowned for its lavish castles, the relics of royal days gone by, the glorious valley of the Loire is rich in both history and architecture. Like the river Loire, this huge area runs through the heart of French life. Its sophisticated cities, luscious landscape and magnificent wine and food add up to a bourgeois paradise. (more…)
Loire Valley castles are full of amazing stories. At Chateau Chenonceau you can hear 'The future king was 12 and he took a mistress aged 32.' The image of the castles of this area may be all towers, topiary, tapestries and faded furniture but for 200 years, these great palaces were host to world-class debauchery and countless (more…)
France's Loire Valley has the grandest selection of 15th and sixteenth century castles. With fifty to sixty "must see" castles scattered on both sides of a 100-mile sweep of the Loire River, the first-time visitor can feel overwhelmed. Details of 5 of the best-known castles are below. (more…)
The story of Diane de Poitiers should serve as a motivation to all of us who feel not-as-young-as-we-used-to-be. Diane was born in 1499, the daughter of Jean de Poitiers and thus a member of a very ancient line. A beauty from a very young age, at 13 she married into another distinguished line when she became the spouse (more…)
So you're travelling to France for your next vacation. You've have selected a location, booked your accommodation, organised your travel. That is the easy part of the "where" and the "how." The trickiest part of planning and enjoying your holiday comes next when you need to tackle the "what" issue. That is what are you (more…)