Day Five

Spend day five hitting the open road, making your way to the beautiful Loire Valley. When the Black Plague took over Paris in the 1300s, the royals and nobles escaped the city and built castles in the lush area. As a result, there are some 300 amazing castles in the area today. Many of them now operate as hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, and the area is also full of old manors that have been converted to inns. Try to stay a night in one of these lodging options, as there is no better way to feel like you are living like the royals.

 

A few of the most interesting castles include the Chateau d’Azay-le-Rideau, which was commissioned by Francois I’s finance minister, and Chateau d’Amboise, the first castle in France to reflect the Italian Renaissance style. Also in the village of Amboise is Clos-Luce, a 15^th century manor containing a museum dedicated Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci actually lived in the manor for three years, dying there in 1519.