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"Opulent and vast, this 16th-century castle in France’s Loire Valley is a 440-room château mixing grand Renaissance and Medieval architecture, originally constructed as a hunting lodge for King Francis I. It’s surrounded by a massive estate that includes French formal gardens, a canal, and the largest enclosed forest area in the country. Walking the grounds near the canal with the château looming in the distance and pausing outside a wing to hear birds chirping captures its serene, dreamy atmosphere." - Elise Taylor