As I mention in my about page the first time I went to France I was 13 years old and I was so fortunate that we were able to visit many of the pretty and fairytale like châteaus near Paris that dotted the countryside. We went to the Palace de Versailles and Château de Fontainebleau, and then we drove to the Loire Valley and toured Château de Chenonceau, Château de Chinon and Château d’Ussé {which Sleeping Beauty was inspired by}.
When I lived there I also visited Château d’Azay le Rideau and Château Amboise, and a few years ago I went to the impressive Château Vaux le Vicomte ~ all of them unique and beautiful in their own way. Château d’Azay le Rideau even does a light show on the exterior of the castle to music in the summer evenings!
Pretty much every region in France you can find châteaus that you can tour around inside and/or the grounds usually for a small fee. There are so many though that I highly recommend researching in advance which ones are in the region you will be visiting, but you may even stumble upon some as you travel and you can pull over impromptu style!
I have compiled a few of the prettiest ones that aren’t too far from Paris and some that date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries! I have put links to their websites so that you can find out all the information on each ahead of time & choose which ones you want to visit based on how much time you have. Or if you aren’t able to visit France anytime soon you can tour each of the virtually through their websites and videos! Enjoy!
