Château Royal de Blois
Few châteaux in France pack as much architectural drama into a single courtyard as Blois. Gothic, Flamboyant, Renaissance and Classical wings stand shoulder to shoulder, telling the story of French royalty from Louis XII to Gaston d'Orléans.
A staircase that stops conversations
The centrepiece of the François I wing is a breathtaking open-spiral staircase decorated with salamanders and ermine — the personal emblems of François I and Anne of Brittany. Stand at the base and look straight up through the stone lacework for one of the Loire Valley's great architectural photographs.
Inside, the Musée des Beaux-Arts occupies the royal apartments where Catherine de Medici reputedly kept her famous poison cabinet. Guides point out the 237 carved wooden panels, some of which conceal tiny hidden compartments — fact or legend, the story keeps every visitor rapt.
Sound and light after dark
Every evening from late April through mid-September, the château hosts 'Au Temps des Rois' — a son-et-lumière show that projects vivid scenes of court life directly onto the stone façades. The 45-minute show is narrated in French and English and turns the courtyard into an open-air cinema under the stars.
Arrive 20 minutes early to claim a spot near the François I staircase; the projections on that wing are the most intricate. Bring a light layer — Loire evenings cool quickly even in July.
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