chateau de valencay

This was Talleyrand's chateau. It is wonderfully furnished. There is a great audio guide in English. It gives a good review of the history of this place and well as Talleyrand himself. Someone who survived twelve changes in French government during his lifetime and served in nine and escaped with his life is certainly a force to be reckoned with. The place has beautiful grounds and a great kitchen. We also ate at their restaurant which we thoroughly enjoyed.

The gardens are delightful, beautifully laid out and very peaceful, and the château itself has retained a "lived-in" ambience. A great atmosphere -- the kitchen and cellars below are also worth a visit.

Don't forget about the magnificent political chameleon Talleyrand, who managed to either thrive or survive during the monarchy, the revolution(s), and Napoleon. It was Napoleon who helped him purchase the Valencay estate, at the time the 3rd largest estate in France, which consisted of over 100 farms and 23 villages. To furnish the chateau, he took furniture from Paris. The gorgeous furniture, interior and exterior architecture, and history tour you get from the guides, is a marvelous combination.

I must have seen most of the castles in this beautiful region of France. But none as this one. Not because it the most beautiful or the most impressive. It is not. I suspect some would rather choose Chenonceau or perhaps the enormous Chambord. This is not to say that you will not be enchanted by the exterior of this castle and its surrounding park. I guarantee you that you will.What is special here is that this was the famous or infamous Talleyrand`s (1754-1838) castle, the French statesman who survived an incredible number of regime changes during his lifetime, only to emerge on top every time.The castle is of course much older, going back to the 13th century but having been expanded and modernized several times over since, last but not least by Talleyrand.Start by going down to the kitchen, pantry and wine cellar. This was a part of the castle to which he attached particular importance - note running water in a kitchen more than 200 years old ! Admire the centuries of dust on the wine bottles ! Talleyrand was a master of entertaining. No wonder this part of the castle had to be equipped by the absolute best that could be bought at the time. And it was.Now we come to what is so spectacular about this castle: The interior. You will find rooms exactly as they looked 200 years ago and with their furniture in perfect condition. I was struck not least by Talleyrand`s office with the furniture from his time as ambassador to the UK, the chair with the big pouches for documents to be read, approved or corrected, the writing desk with its may drawers and not least its numerous hidden caches, thereby resembling its owner.When you have visited the castle, do not forget to stroll down to a little chapel in the village with Talleyrand`s casket. Another surprise awaits you: It is so absolutely simple, yet elegant. It could have been made in the 21st century. On the wall of the chapel you will see a number of the aphorisms ascribed to Talleyrand. Do not leave before having read all of them - and you get a feel for this extraordinary and fascinating character.

This chateau has nice grounds, all the rooms are furnished, but the highlight for me is the kitchen area which is in the basement. The stove, about 12 feet long and brought from Vienna, was very impressive. All around the room were brightly polished copper pots, pans and lids. In an adjoining room was a baker's oven and lots of beautiful dishes. This is where the famous Careme worked his magic when Talleyrand, Napoleon's accomplished foreign minister, owned the chateau.

The chateau is quite impressive from outside.You can take a snapshot of the chateau without entering inside through the fence.However it is still worthy to go inside to enjoy the scenery of the garden which you cannot enjoy from outside.Inside the chateau is just typical chateau interior to me.Close to this chateau, there is nice free parking spot next to the road.

The chateau is set in extensive grounds, which I did not have time to visit beyond the immediate vicinity of the chateau itself, but the building was plenty. The chateau was the home of the French politician Tallyrand, a figure about whom I knew little before the visit. His career spanned the French Revolution and the reign of Napoleon, so a very interesting era, and the well-produced English language audio guide (included in the entrance fee, but you have to leave a passport as a deposit to guarantee its return) explains all this in an engaging way - I sat on the benches in the rooms on the way through the self-guided tour and listened to it all, engrossed.The tour through the chateau's rooms is an experience, although there is more beautiful furniture than I could take in, other than in the grand vista. The ground floor rooms are the reception rooms, appropriately set out for the Spanish princesses who were imprisoned here under Napoleon; upstairs are the bedrooms, with uncomfortable-looking beds. The kitchens are very interesting, accessed down an external staircase. While we were on our visit on an afternoon there were repeated performances of a "spectacle" held there, a playlet (in French) about a forthcoming dinner, with historical information dropped into an enjoyable skit, which included Talleyrand pooh-poohing the proposal to serve "petits poids a l'Anglais" (peas cooked in the English style, don't know what this is exactly,sounds quite nice to me!).An enjoyable visit on which I learnt a lot.Wheelchair access is possible only on the ground floor. I don't think children would be much interested in the chateau but there are other amusements within the grounds more suitable for them.

The Chateau was lovely but the grounds were a bit overrated. We enjoyed the maze and there was a lovely place to picnic. We felt the cafe wasn't suitable for our needs with three small children but we found some lovely sandwiches and brought them to the picnic spot.

Another wonderful chateau which is not to be missed. We took a guided tour which was extremely informative,and fun. the costumed drama which was playing out in the courtyard and the grounds was also highly entertaining,and added another dimension to an already impressive attraction.

We started our visit with the maze, and I'm glad we did it. It was very entertaining; play by the rules, don't be afraid you'll get stuck, there are usually 3 clues pointing to the same keyword. And please close the doors behind you, so others will enjoy the game too!Besides the maze, the exterior was a bit disappointing since only a few flowers were planted (early June). Note that there is a deer reservation in the middle of the park.The interior of the castle is above average, worth the attention. Audio guides are included in ticket price.

The gardens looked quite tired and the chateau itself was rather under whelming.Try the Chateau de Bouges instead, gardens superb and the Chateau is full of memories that come to life

Park by the tourist office and walk in to reception. Beautifully maintained gardens lead you to the chateau where you are given an individual audio guide in your own language. Each room is beautifully furnished and the audio guide explains both the furnishings and paintings on view and some of the history that took place in the room. The audio guide is excellent being both very clearly spoken and giving just enough information with no "padding". More information is available by pressing other buttons if you need it or have the time. Leaving the chateau do not miss the kitchens and wine store below. The grounds are huge and you can hire a 4 seater golf buggy to explore. There is also a maze and restaurant in the Orangery . There is a full programme of events and exhibitions throughout the year. There was a wonderful display of orchids when we visited which were distributed throughout the chateau.

Really enjoyed our visit to Valencay. There is plenty to do and the chateau itself is a great visit. Plenty of picnic areas and a maze for the kids. Definitely worth the visit.

The approach to the chateau is grand enough for any royal palace and reminded me of the Summer Palace of the Danish kings at Rosenborg,outside Stockholm. With the main street aligned to the chateau bearing an alee of giant plane trees that arch over like a nave of a cathedral,the initial view is unbelievably beautiful. At the end,a screen of railings topped with arrowheads announce the domain and street as it sweeps to the left. Without a doubt this turf is chateau-eye-candy. The air is punctuated by camera noises. Inside,a second alee of chestnuts frames the view,opening to a large oval courtyard. The entrance tower, a donjon,carries the date 1599. There is excellent coffee and light repast to be had or a expensive lunch if your corporate card will bear it. We enjoyed the maze and also rented a golf buggy to Go down through the woods,caves and quarry. Yes, it is a superlative experience.

We have been to this chateau many times, with friends how have been staying with us in the locality. All have been impressed with both chateau and grounds. Not as busy as say Chenonceau or Chambord, which is a plus! Also worth a visit is the towns car museum which is a 5 minute walk from the chateau and you can buy a combined ticket for both the chateau and museum at a reduced price. All in all a very good day out!