Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire

Loire Valley Road Trip: 3 Days of Castles, Vineyards and MICHELIN Dining

"Gracefully towered and crenellated, this picturesque bluff-top castle with sweeping river views was given in 1559 to Diane de Poitiers after Queen Catherine de Medici banished her from the dying King Henry II’s bedside and her beloved Château de Chenonceau. Today it’s one of the Loire’s reigning arts centers, pairing permanent installations with a yearly exhibition of acclaimed contemporary artists, and it’s best known for the International Garden Festival, a dazzling 30-acre romp where distinguished landscape architects create thought-provoking gardens from native plants; the 2025 theme, Once Upon a Time in the Garden, links myth, magic and the transformative power of nature." - Jennifer Ladonne