Loire Valley: Château de Chenonceau and Diane de Poitiers

The famous Chateau de Chenonceau crossing the river Cher

Visiting the Château de Chenonceau

The truly magnificent Château de Chenonceau is France's most visited private castle, and of course, is a highlight of our Loire Valley cycle tour. A château with a long and storied history, the Château de Chenonceau was first built between 1513 and 1521 by Thomas Bohier, who used it for hosting French nobility including King Francis I. However, by 1535 the Bohier family's debts to the Crown had become so great that King Francis seized the château for himself!

Following Francis' death, his son - King Henry II - decided to offer Chenonceau to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, as a gift, despite the fury of his wife Catherine de Medici!

Who was Diane de Poitiers?

A crafty and intellectual woman, Diane possessed a great amount of power within the French Court, even writing many of King Henry's official letters on his behalf.

Though the position of the "royal mistress" was expected and tolerated in an era when royal marriages were enacted solely for political and dynastic reasons, Henry's adoration for Diane was a source of bitter jealousy for his wife, Queen Catherine.

Knowing that the château was still legally owned by the Crown (and thus could be taken from her if the king ever died), through years of complex legal manoeuvres, including returning it to the by-now-impoverished Bohier family, Diane was able to take ownership of the castle for herself in 1555.

A painting of Diane at Chateau Chenonceau, Loire, France
A painting of Diane on display

Diane de Poitiers makes some home improvements

With the knowledge that the castle was hers, and with the profits from the cultivation of the estate, Diane set about having Chenonceau updated and enhanced. She had a new bridge built, connecting the castle to the opposite bank; expanded and improved the main building; and oversaw the planting of large flower and vegetable gardens along the banks of the River Cher, which the castle spans.

The 19th century writer Gustave Flaubert wrote that Diane de Poitiers' bed, in the master bedroom, had an "extraordinary" effect on those who lay on it.

Unfortunately for Diane, her efforts to manoeuvre Chenonceaux into her own hands proved somewhat fruitless. When King Henry died in 1559, Diane - who, despite Henry's pleas, was not admitted to see him or even invited to the funeral - was pressured into giving the Château de Chenonceau to Catherine, in exchange for Catherine's Château de Chaumont. Taking up residence in Chenonceau, Catherine did her best to strip the vestiges of Diane's ownership from the castle; but rather than destroy the garden Diane had created, Catherine instead created her own, intending to outdo her rival.

We visit both châteaux on the tour, so you can see which of Diane's homes you'd prefer!

Chateau de Chenonceau formal gardens, popular tourist attraction in the Loire Valley

A cycle tour to Château de Chenonceau

Cycling to Château de Chenonceau is a popular part of our Loire Valley cycle tour, as this castle and the other châteaux we visit are part of a gentle itinerary with mostly flat rides. Following the course of the rivers Loire and Cher, the roads are practically car-free, with a substantial part of the riding on dedicated cycle paths.

Other sights we'll visit include Château d’Ussé which inspired Sleeping Beauty, Chateau de l'Amboise where Leonardo da Vinci is buried, Château de Chaumont, the gardens at Villandry, Chambord and Cheverney!

Don't worry if all this cycling and sight-seeing make you hungry, buffet breakfasts and gourmet meals are included...