Château de Blois

Château royal de Blois

A royal château where seven kings and ten queens once lived, with a single courtyard showing Gothic, Renaissance and Classical architecture from four centuries.

Blois Château stands on the high ground in the centre of Blois and is one of the most important royal palaces in French history. Louis XII and Francis I lived here, and in 1588 the Duke of Guise was assassinated on the orders of Henry III. The château's main highlight is its four wings around a single courtyard, each built in a different era: the 13th-century Hall of the Estates-General; the late 15th-century Louis XII wing, Gothic in style with red brick and white stone; the 16th-century Francis I wing, featuring a famous open octagonal spiral staircase; and the 17th-century Gaston d'Orléans wing, in the Classical style. Together they read like a textbook of French architecture. Inside are richly painted royal rooms, the study of Catherine de' Medici (said to have a hidden poison compartment) and a museum. An adult ticket costs about EUR14. From April to September there is an evening sound-and-light show in the courtyard, sold separately. Across from the château is Robert-Houdin's House of Magic, where a dragon head emerges from a window on the hour, which is great for children. Getting there: a train from Paris Austerlitz takes about 1.5-2 hours to Blois, and the station is about a 10-minute walk from the château. Blois is also a base for visiting Chambord and Chaumont.

Château de Blois

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