Chateau de Chambord

Chambord is the grandest and most extravagant of the Loire Valley chateaux, a vast Renaissance hunting palace built for Francois I, its roofline a fantastical forest of towers, turrets, cupolas and chimneys. A UNESCO site set in a huge walled park, its centrepiece is a remarkable double-helix staircase, two spirals winding around each other, said to owe something to Leonardo da Vinci.

What you actually see

• The double-helix staircase - the famous twin spiral stair at the heart of the chateau.
• The fantastical roofline - the forest of towers, turrets and chimneys, walkable on the terraces.
• The state rooms - the vast halls of the hunting palace.
• The park - the huge walled estate of forest and deer.

When to go

Spring to autumn for the park and mild weather; the chateau is open year-round. It is a highlight of a Loire Valley tour by car, paired with the smaller, prettier Chenonceau.

Honest expectations

It is vast and rather empty inside, a grand hunting lodge more than a lived-in home, so the architecture is the draw more than furnished rooms. It is a couple of hours from Paris, best with a car for the Loire. The park is huge, so bikes or a buggy help.

Nearby

Chenonceau, Amboise and the other Loire chateaux are within reach; Blois is nearby.