OverSixty July 2023 Digital

ISSUE 5 | JULY 2023 | OVERSIXTY.COM.AU 36 TRAVEL formal gardens: one designed for Henry’s wife, Catherine de Medici, and the other for his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. We stroll through the gardens, taking in marble statues, roses and lavender. In the evening, we return for a sound and light show. !e sweeping canopy of trees, illuminated, transform the entranceway into a mauve and azure Monet painting as the music of Corelli is played. !e grandiose Château de Chambord, with its turrets, towers and 440 rooms, is not tomy taste. It feels huge and cold and, with many empty rooms, reminds me of a super-centre. Highlights still abound, incluing the double-helix staircase de- signed by Leonardo da Vinci and the sen- sational equestrian show performed on the grounds by riders in period costume. A traveller could easily combine a visit to Chambord’s horse show with a tour of the nearby Château de Cheverny, built in the 17th century of white tufa, which has aged beautifully. In the same aristocratic family for centuries, Cheverny maintains a lived-in feel. It is exquisitely furnished with ornately painted ceiling beams and leather-covered walls. !ough fox hunt- ing is controversial, 100 hounds are kept. Set on a hill, themulti-turretedChâteau d’Ussé seems the quintessential fairytale castle. Legend has it the château inspired Charles Perrault’s Sleeping Beauty , de- picted here by costumed mannequins. Once inside, romance gives over to the reality of just how dark and cold it must have been living in the Middle Ages. Château Villandry is the gardeners’ castle. !e exquisite gardens, inspired by the Italian Renaissance style, are a tri- umph of colour, design and plant diversi- ty. !ere are terraces and belvederes, so you can view and photograph the unique patterns on three levels. !e ornamental Garden of Love features delicate, per- fectly pruned boxwood hedges in heart shapes. !e kitchen garden contains pear trees and outstanding tree roses. Most memorable is the water garden, its pond the shape of a huge Louis XVmirror. Sym- metrical fountains o"er a Zen-like res- pite. Swans add to the serenity. Withmanymore châteaux in the region to explore, if you seek to spark your im- agination and nurture your spirit with ar- chitecture, artistry and nature, search no further than the castles of the Loire. Ô Loire Valley castles Continued from page 32 Top left: the stunning Château de Chenonceau; top right: the ornate gardens of the Château Villandry Photos: Getty Images DESTINATIONS