might as well make it the grandest – and Chambord is the most lavish of them all, and the most visited. It’s a showpiece of Renaissance architecture, from the double-helix staircase up to the turret-covered rooftop. With 426 rooms, 282 fireplaces, and 77 staircases the sheer scale of the place is mindboggling – and in the Loire, that’s really saying something.

History

Begun in 1519 by François I (r 1515–47) as a weekend hunting retreat, it quickly grew into one of the most ambitious – and expensive – building projects ever undertaken by a French monarch.

Construction was repeatedly halted by financial problems, design setbacks and military commitments (not to mention the kidnapping of the king’s two sons in Spain). Ironically, when Chambord was finally finished after three decades of work, François found his elaborate

Visiting the château

Inside the main building, a film (subtitled in four languages) provides an excellent introduction to the château's history and architecture. On the ground floor you can visit 18th-century kitchens, while the 1st floor is where you'll find the most interesting (though lightly furnished) rooms, including the royal bedchambers. Rising through the center of the structure, the world-famous double-helix staircase – very possibly designed by the king’s chum Leonardo da Vinci – ascends to the great lantern tower and the rooftop, where you can marvel at a veritable skyline of cupolas, domes, turrets, chimneys and lightning rods and gaze out across the vast grounds.