Château de Cheverny

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

"Best known to generations of French kids as Captain Haddock’s mansion in the Tintin comics, this 17th-century, family-owned château is among the Loire’s most completely furnished. Its pale white-stone facade and restrained classical symmetry contrast with the region’s flamboyant Renaissance castles, yet inside the opulent rooms feel cozy and lived-in—especially the children’s rooms, dotted with family snapshots. Acres of gardens shelter ancient trees, woods, walkways and kennels housing 100 hunting hounds, and the estate dresses up for each holiday before erupting into 500,000 blooming tulips each spring." - Jennifer Ladonne