Azay-le-Rideau/Villandry
VIII died in the castle after hitting his head on a stone doorway.
You have been warned: Tread carefully through the doorways.
Another Amboise highlight is Le Close-Luce, the house where da Vinci spent the final years of his life working on his inventions.
Amboise also makes a great base for the 25-mile loop to Chenonceau, a castle built across the Cher River. It’s a magnet for tourists and their buses, but you can get away from it all in the large gardens that surround the castle. Take a lunch.
Azay owes its fame and flocks of tourists to the castle, which is considered the Loire’s most romantic.
It’s also a great base for a ride to the castle at Villandry, which has the most extravagant gardens of any of the region’s castles.
The 30-mile loop to Villandry is one my favorite Loire rides, as it takes you up and down a ridge and through endless apple orchards. I was there most recently in the fall, which is apple harvest season, and I might have plucked an apple or two off a tree for a tasty snack.
I’m not sure whether this is legal — or ethical — tourist behavior, so let’s keep this our little secret.
Chinon
Chinon’s castle is what a medieval chateau should look like. It’s perched high on a hill, overlooking the town and the Vienne River, with plenty of fortified walls, ramparts and guard towers.
This is wine country, and vineyards and wine cellars in every direction offer tastings and tours.