A work trip to CNRS/LPC2E left me with little time for photography, but we were able to find a day to escape into the Loire Valley countryside and explore a few Châteaux. I also had a couple hours in Paris before I left, where I got to speedrun the Palace of Versailles. In fact, I speedran Versailles so hard that I accidentally deleted most of my Paris photos and some of my Versailles photos…oops.

Château de Chambord

This massive Château was built as King Francis I’s hunting lodge. However, he went hunting here so rarely that the place was always unfurnished: every time he came, they would transport all the furnishing as well. When he died, this castle was basically empty for centuries, which is a shame because the architectural design is just so cool! Not pictured well but at the center of the castle (within that center lantern tower most prominently featured in the 5th photo in this sequence, click the image to see the full size), there’s a Leonardo da Vinci-inspired double-helix staircase which allows two people to ascend/descend without ever meeting.

Château de Chenonceau

King Henry II gifted this Château de Chenonceau to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. After he died, Henry II’s widow, the famous Catherine de' Medici, took it back and made it her own residence.

This castle was literally built on the river Cher (sadly, I didn’t get a good photo showing how the castle spans the river), right between the occupied and free zones of France during WWII. Many people were smuggled to safety through this Château.

This is Blois, a city on the Loire river, capital of Loire valley, and hosts a gigantic cathedral at the city center.

Château Royal d'Amboise

Built in the late 15th century during the reign of Charles VIII, Château d'Amboise served as the primary royal residence for a relatively short amount of time. Sadly, Charles VIII hit his head on a doorframe and died…

King Francis I also hung out here for a bit and invited his good friend Leonardo da Vinci to hang out. However, da Vinci died (possibly of a stroke) 3 years later and this château serves as his final resting place. Rip Leo.

Château de Versailles

This was originally built by Louis XIII in 1623 as his hunting lodge, then transformed by Louis XIV into a grand palace where big historical events happened (like the Treat of Versaille ending WWI being signed in the Hall of Mirrors). The palace grounds are impressively large, but I didn’t really vibe with any of the art or architecture…the whole place felt a bit soulless and boring to be honest. Good thing I accidentally deleted all my photos, right?

I thought the geese were more interesting 🪿