Chinon Castle – Forteresse Royale de Chinon

(Last Update: 12.09.2024) Do you like medieval castles? come on then Loire ValleyLet's move towards the middle of , with Tours Saumur between, Loire Riverone of the branches of Vienne RiverIt was built on a slope overlooking the One of the 80 castles worth visiting one Château Royale de Chinon passed as Chinon CastleLet's visit together.

By visiting Chinon Castle, we actually get out of the routine a bit. Because Loire Valley Castles When you say that, the first thing that comes to everyone's mind is Chambord Castle, Cheverny Castle, Chenonceaux Castle, Amboise Castle There are certain castles such as: If you say let's change our line a little, this time Chaumont sur Loire Castle, Blois Castle, Montresor Castle You may be discovering castles like these, but thanks to this blog Provided that you retain your right to see what everyone else is doing, You will get to know Chinon Castle, which is not very highlighted but is actually a great place to visit.

Chinon, famous for its wines, approximately 300 kilometers from Paris located in (shinon) town Going to Chinon Castle by public transportation I don't know how smart it would be, but let me explain how to go by train for those who do not want to drive / rent a car: The train is in Paris. Montparnasse Train StationIt departs from and depends on the cities it will stop at. The journey takes approximately 3 hours. In general You may need to make a transfer in Tour city. After arriving at Chinon Train Station, it is very easy to reach Chinon Castle on foot. But still I I recommend traveling around the Loire Valley by car. This way, you will be much freer and have more opportunities to explore the beauties of the region. Again Those who want to go by train can buy online train tickets. TCDD of France one SNCFFrom the official website of They can get.

My most important advice to those who will rent a car is to choose a vehicle with GPS or to bring their own navigation device. Those who have international internet packages will be much more comfortable if they use the map applications they are used to on their mobile phones. Because Roads in France are extremely complicated, so navigation devices and map apps are lifesavers.

We visit Chinon Castle August 2017'also, Loire ValleyWe discovered it on our third trip. If I say we discovered it, it had been there for a thousand years, but this time, when I wanted to go a little beyond the classical tour and see different places, ToursIt was a place where we had the chance to go to the west of the city and see new places with the enthusiasm of getting to know them.

Although archaeologists say that the area where the castle is located has a history of at least three thousand years, what we see now is The construction of Chinon Castle dates back to the 10th century. Blois count Its construction started by the order of Thibaut I. castle, especially Blois Anjou to be an important defense point in the eternal rivalry between the counts and Vienne River He intended to control its passage.

However, Chinon Castle could not avoid being taken over by the Anjou dynasty... The most important name among the rulers of the castle and the region was II. Henry… II. Henry is important in that he would later become the king of England, and his son Richard the Lionheart Known as Richard I. Also II. Henri's marriage story is also interesting:

II. Henri as his wife Eleanor of Aquitainebut this Miss Eleanorhas an interesting story: Aliénor d'Aquitaine was first king of France. VII. Louis She marries him and becomes the queen of France, and then, after a lot of effort, manages to divorce him. Then II. She marries Henri and II. When Henri became king of England Miss Eleanor and becomes queen of England. So in your personal career both the queen of France and the queen of England I congratulate him for being able to be this :)

In fact, the royal relationship between France and England needs to be studied a little better. The situation is so complicated that I haven't been able to fully understand it yet. For example II. Henry How did he become the king of England without even knowing English, when he was the count of Anjou in France, and then his son Richard the Lionheart After becoming king of England, how come he lived in France near Chinon Castle? Fontevraud MonasteryHe says goodbye to life in; While trying to learn, people get lost in the depths of history.

The day we visited Chinon Castle, the weather was overcast, as you can see from the photos. You can't always see the blue sky when traveling in the central and northern regions of France. In fact, I would like to go here once again and photograph it when the sky is deep blue, but maybe you can do it before me and document Chinon Castle under the blue sky and white clouds. Believe me, I won't be jealous at all, I'll be very happy :) It's okay, it doesn't look too bad under such a gray sky, right? 😉

The visitor entrance to Chinon Castle is from the tower on the east wing. After leaving your car in the parking lot at the top and going downstairs, you enter the museum from the bottom of the tower on your left. Here is a cute museum shop and there's a lounge where kids can dress up in period costumes and play games. After buying your ticket and entering through the main gate, you are in the garden of the castle. In general terms Chinon castle consists of three main parts:

Les Trois Châtaux In this classification, the first section from east to west is Fort Saint Georges, second part Château du Milieu, third part Fort du Coudray named as. Fort Saint Georges is the section of the castle where the ticket office is located. Château du Milleu is the main courtyard and its surroundings where you enter the garden after passing through the toll booth, while Fort du Coudray awaits you at the far end of your trip.

If it's your lucky day, in the central courtyard Young people dressed in medieval costumes perform animations for children. It is set up in a corner for you to taste wine. historical stand welcomes you 😉 While your child is watching the animations, you too can do wine tasting, if you like You can buy Chinon wine. In fact, if you like wine, I think you should buy a red wine 😉 It is also very enjoyable to sit and relax on the sun loungers in the garden. Of course, if the weather is nice...

You can enter the buildings on the left side of the garden and visit the museum parts of Chinon Castle. As I always say, the interior of the building you visit is as impressive as the works on display. Since they are generally independent buildings, you cannot make a complete tour; you have to enter and exit the buildings one by one. In some of them, the corridors open to other doors, in some, you go down the corridors and come back, and in some, you climb the towers. In some periods If you come across restoration work Your travel itinerary and the sections you can see may also vary.

Especially the cellars you go down to in some sections are quite impressive. You know “If they kill them, no one will know🙂 While wandering through these spooky passages, one thinks of those times and is thankful for living in the 21st century. Especially when you were a child like me. chivalry If you have played the game, your awareness of space may be improving, but on the other hand, you may be confused about which time you are living in. You don't know whether you are a child or an adult, whether you are today or in the middle ages...

After completing the middle section, you can reach the castle via a stone bridge. Fort du Coudray You move to the side. Appearing below every zodiac sign you find Chinon town and Vienne RiverDon't forget to check it out. It is also very enjoyable to climb the tower in this section. The view from above is also great. When you go down again, this time I recommend you go around the walls from the back. When you look this way from the zodiac signs, The vineyards where Chinon wines are produced you see.

A small one at the top cafeteria there is. There is not much food variety, but it can be enjoyable for interesting snacks and wine tasting. If you go there in nice weather, it will be delicious anyway, but if the weather is not suitable for wandering around outdoors, it would be wiser to take care of your meals down in Chinon.

I think another thing you will enjoy while wandering around the central garden of Chinon Castle is the replicas of the war equipment of that period, reproduced today. Especially the catapults are quite interesting. when we were little mini mechs While playing with Playmobil toys, we would build medieval castles, build catapults and attack each other's castles. I'm thinking about how I can do this much despite playing such "violent" games. a peace-loving person I did, I don't know either :)

It will take at least an hour to visit Chinon Castle. If you are interested in details, you can even spend half a day here, but there is so much more to see around, why don't you linger too long? 🙂 Beautiful from here Fontevraud MonasteryYou should definitely go to , then Saumur go to the side Saumur CastleYou should see . Loire ValleyI'm assuming you've already seen the major castles on the eastern side of the city before coming here. You can find the detailed list at the end of the article.

After completing your castle tour, you should go down and take a look at Chinon. Chinon is a tiny town of approximately 8.000 people.. Its center is like typical French villages. With its historical houses, pedestrian paths, riverside walking path and stone bridge on the banks of the Vienne River, it is an ideal place to walk and explore with pleasure, but with a short walk.

Forteresse Royale de Chinon – Chinon Castle is open every day of the year except January 1 and December 25. Although I tell you I recommend you visit this place in a nice season. But maybe it's beautiful in winter too? It would be nice if any of you would go and share your comments with us. Chinon Castle opens its doors at 09:30 every morning, and can be visited until 17:00 in winter and 19:00 in summer. Please do not forget to check ticket prices, periodic exhibitions and other current information from the official web page link at the end of the article.

As I said, after visiting Chinon Castle, you can move a little further west, Fontevraud Monasteryand Saumur CastleYou can see . There are so many places to visit that I know you may be confused and have difficulty choosing. Don't worry, for a well-organized travel program Loire Valley Castles Tour Program Recommendation Just look at my article 😉

It's up to me to write, it's up to you to travel...

Pleasant trips, pleasant discoveries.

Web address: forteressechinon.fr

Address: 37500 chinon

Related Article:

• Loire Valley Castles Tour Program

Other Chateaus in the Loire Valley:

• Chambord Castle – Château de Chambord
• Cheverny Castle – Château de Cheverny
• Blois Castle – Château Royal de Blois
• Chaumont sur Loire Castle – Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire
• Amboise Castle – Château Royal d'Amboise
• Leonardo da Vinci's House – Le Clos Lucé
• Chenonceau Castle – Château de Chenonceau
• Montresor Castle – Château de Montrésor
• Saumur Castle – Château de Saumur

Castles in Paris and Surroundings:

• Louvre Museum – Musée du Louvre
• Palace of Versailles – Château de Versailles
• Vincennes Castle – Château de Vincennes
• Saint Germain Castle – National Archaeological Museum
• Fontainebleau Castle – Château de Fontainebleau
• Chantilly Castle – Château de Chantilly
• Pierrefonds Castle – Château de Pierrefonds
• Compiègne Castle – Château de Compiègne
• Vaux le Vicomte Castle – Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
• La Roche Guyon Castle – Château de la Roche-Guyon
• Castle of Monte Cristo – Château de Monte-Cristo
• Maisons Laffitte Castle – Château de Maisons-Laffitte
• Malmaison Castle – Château de Malmaison