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Moulin de Malicorne

Chateaux and Medieval Towns

(scroll down for descriptions & more photos)

The moulin is in Ste. Maure de Touraine, 2.5 hours southwest of Paris by car and just
30 minutes south of Tours. The TGV (high speed train) goes from Tours to Paris in one hour.

(scroll down for descriptions & more photos)

Châteaux

Many of the Loire's most fascinating châteaux and medieval towns are within a one-hour drive of Moulin de Malicorne:

  • Amboise

  • Blois

    Chinon chateau
  • Cheverney

  • Chinon (part of
    château shown at right)

  • Langeais

  • Loches

    Villandry
  • Montpoupon

  • Montrichard

  • Rigny-Usse

  • Saumur

  • Tours

  • Villandry (gardens shown at right--click to enlarge)

Azay-le-Rideau castle

Azay-le-Rideau

Azay-le-Rideau is just half an hour away from the moulin. Its architecture, furnishings, and garden make this château one of the true jewels of the Loire.



The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud

Fontevraud Abbey The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud dates from the 12th century. Henry II, Eleanor of Acquitaine and their son, Richard the Lionhearted, are buried here and their life-sized gisants are on display. Westminster Abbey, in London, has been trying to get them – to complete their collection of English Monarchs – but as these two English kings lived here, ruled from here and died here, Fontevraud is keeping them!

Napoleon turned the abbey into a prison. The last prisoner left in the 1980s so the abbey was spared during the more unfortunate periods of restoration.



Chenonceau

Chenenceaux castle Built 1513-1521, Henri II gave Chenonceau to his mistress, Diane of Poitiers, who built the bridge from the château to the other side of the river. At the death of the king, his wife Catherine of Medicis kicked Diane out of the chateau and built the double gallery over the bridge. The castle and gardens have been beautifully restored and are open to the public year-round.

Chambord

Chambord Castle The château is a bit big for a cozy evening by the fire, but be sure to check out the chimneys – all of them with geometric patterns – no two are the same.

Pay particular attention to the double spiral staircase designed by Leonardo da Vinci where you can go up without meeting anybody coming down!


The most famous châteaux are Chenonceau, Chambord, and Villandry, but you won't want to miss the lesser-known sites that are close by. You'll find a fabulous bird show in the ruins of the castle at Montrichard, and Amboise and several other towns offer "son et lumière" (sound and light) shows on summer nights. The Futuroscope amusement park is a popular nearby destination (www.futuroscope.org). The city of Tours is only a half-hour away, and it's like a miniature Paris: restaurants, shops, fountains, museums, antiques, and typical French architecture. You can board the TGV in Tours for a one-hour train ride to Paris.


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