Château de Chambord

Why Go

Francis I built Chambord from 1519 to 1547, blending medieval towers with Italian Renaissance forms; Leonardo da Vinci, then living at Amboise, may have had a hand in its design. At its heart a double-helix staircase lets two people climb at once without meeting, up to rooftop terraces that look like a town of turrets and chimneys.

The château stands in a walled forest park of 5,440 hectares, the largest enclosed park in Europe, where deer and wild boar roam.