Andrea A.
Yelp
I had really mixed feelings about seeing this chateau because all of my guidebooks emphasized the Tintin connection. While I like Tintin, I'm not a die-hard fan. But I'm so glad I went, because this was by far the most intimate and charming chateau on my Loire Valley visit.
I took a shuttle from Blois which was 6E for the day and dropped you off at Chambord, Cheverny, Beauregard, then back to Blois. We also got a small discount at each chateau after showing our shuttle ticket. It was an excellent value, especially because there is pretty much no other public transportation to these chateaux.
There's something about the furnishing touches at Cheverny that make it really feel like you're in someone's home (which you are) rather than in some abandoned hunting lodge. I got nice and close to some lovely pieces like a harp, embroidered chairs, tortoiseshell drawers, and beautiful beds. The one-way walking path through the chateau is straightforward and easy to follow.
The grounds were a pleasure to explore. The orangerie/restaurant was gorgeous and had free guest restrooms. The foxhound kennel was full of napping puppies (!!!) and had only the faintest zoo-like smell.
But by far my favorite part of the grounds was the small garden. There were all kinds of super-fragrant roses, herbs, vegetables, an ivy-covered sitting area, pools of liles and frogs... I wandered around as if in a dream, smelling and photographing everything I could.
There are some chateaux that I'm okay with having seen once, but Cheverny is a place that I would definitely return to, given the chance.