Loire Castles: Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Ussé (France)

It’s very rare for me to take complete vacations. Since I work part-time, I theoretically have time to recover the rest of the week (even if in 2022, that wasn’t really the case). But the fatigue that’s been building up for a long time is starting to take its toll, and we’re taking advantage of a week off to rest and a long weekend to visit some Loire castles I’ve always wanted to discover.

Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Journal

Remember, we visited a few before our round-the-world trip and during our 2020 road trip in France, but I saved the best for 2022. I’m saying this for those who are tempted to comment “why didn’t you visit Clos Lucé while you were in Amboise?” (see the other two articles please). This time, we also have a car with us.

Amboise

Amboise Castle is very pretty from the other side of the bridge, but I didn’t think to go there. Don’t make the same mistake we did!

Here’s the official photo on the castle’s website:

For nearly two centuries, the history of the royal castle of Amboise has been intimately intertwined with the great History of France. Grandiose palace of kings Charles VIII and François I during the Renaissance, burial place of the iconic Leonardo da Vinci, it constitutes for all our visitors an exceptional testimony to the profound changes that took place in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. Total expression of French luxury and art de vivre, the castle of Amboise is also a truly unique and monumental balcony, opening 360° over landscapes inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage.

The castle has been renovated many times, and in the castle cafeteria we can see an interactive screen explaining the successive modifications. Unfortunately, we only see part of the huge castle it once was.

The audio guide with augmented reality is offered to us for free. Some rooms are more richly decorated than others, I find. I particularly like the fireplaces here.

I really enjoyed the perfectly trimmed bushes in the garden.

Unfortunately, the chapel where Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb is located has been under renovation since the beginning of the year, and we don’t know when the restoration will be completed.

We then take the opportunity to visit the town center of Amboise, which is truly charming!

In the evening, JB finds us a very unusual restaurant, in a cave: La Cave des Fouées

We can’t figure out the opening hours at all, and no one answers the phone, but we go around 7pm anyway to see. The owner tells us she doesn’t post hours on her site because she doesn’t necessarily have enough customers in the low season. She opens if there have been reservations. We’re lucky because a big group has booked tonight. The restaurant’s specialty is fouées, small pieces of bread baked in the oven right in front of us, served unlimited throughout the meal. The menu is fixed and only includes local products (with rillons and rillettes from Tours, of course!), in huge quantities. We loved the concept and the dishes. I highly recommend it! Call during meal times to reserve if needed. Expect around thirty euros per person (wine included).

Azay-le-Rideau Castle

Azay-le-Rideau Castle is built on an island in the middle of the Indre River under the patronage of François I. A subtle blend of French traditions and innovative Italian-inspired decor, it is an icon of the new art of building in the Val de Loire in the 16th century.  Its landscaped park, designed in the second half of the 19th century, provides a true natural setting.
In 1905, the state became the owner of Azay-le-Rideau Castle. Its successive owners contributed to making it the most harmonious architectural gem in the Val de Loire.  

I’ve always dreamed of visiting this castle. There’s something about its shape, the moats surrounding it, that attracts me enormously. Don’t hesitate to walk around the castle by first visiting the gardens; it’s a very pleasant stroll. JB fell in love with a majestic tree.

The central staircase is open (no glass) and creates a draft that’s not very pleasant, but for taking photos, it’s superb! I find the rooms quite small but charming. It’s one of my favorite castles. The nearby village looks charming too, but we don’t have time to linger.

We have lunch in a small village. It’s a former post office converted into a restaurant. The food is delicious for a very reasonable price, and the service is impeccable.

However, what I didn’t like was the attitude of the customers at this restaurant. Everyone fell silent as soon as we set foot in the restaurant. I got stared at from head to toe. This deathly silence lasted a good twenty seconds. I patiently wait for conversations to resume, staring back in turn, with my killer eyes, at each and every one of them. I don’t care about the reason for this treatment, but isn’t it basic politeness not to stare at people? It’s something we learn as children.

It’s never pleasant to feel different, and especially physically different, racially different, so that people immediately go quiet in your presence. None of them could hold my gaze, and conversations resume. It reminds me of an episode in “Bling Empire”: two super-rich Asian women arrive in a pretty racist small American town and get stared at to death. They laugh, shouting “we’re going to buy everything here, all your houses” hahahaha

Ussé Castle

Ussé Castle is considered the one from the Sleeping Beauty. As soon as we arrived, we were immediately drawn to the chapel next door.

Then, there’s a sign pointing to the Sleeping Beauty tower tour. We go from room to room, and the mannequins are staged to tell the whole story. I loved the moment we reached the tower’s scaffolding.

Other than that, the interior is nothing special. A large part is not accessible to the public.

On the other hand, the garden is beautiful, full of exotic trees. The castle is very pretty from afar, seen from the other side of the bridge. It’s a place accessible on foot and free of charge, so don’t hesitate to linger there.

On the way back, we cross the suspension bridge at Langeais, a masterpiece.

Then, we meet up with our friends at Tours for three super super cool meals.

They take us to see a winemaker who sells Vouvray at a very very affordable price. The winemaker gives us a tour of his cellar and tells us he has shortage problems: bottles and corks. Since the rise in energy costs, bottles cost much more, even suppliers only sell to their loyal customers.

JB meets his father for a lunch and a rugby match, and we then drive back to Paris.

Part 2: Practical Tips

Budget (December 2022)

• Château d’Amboise ticket: 15€
• Château d’Azay le Rideau ticket: 11.5€
• Château d’Ussé ticket: 14€
• Restaurants:
  • La Cave des Fouées (Amboise): fixed menu, just over 30€/person, wine included
  • Other restaurants: between 15€ and 22€/person
• Hotel:
  • ibis Amboise (85€, Booking link)
  • ibis Tours Nord (77€, Booking link)