Prague Castles Tour
Visit and tour Czec Republic and spend three nights there altogether - two at the beginning and one at the end.
Spend four nights in the Loire Valley, the garden of Prague. With its mild climate the Loire was the favourite residence of kings and their kin. It remains a corner of paradise, with its dream-like palaces, elegant towns, quiet landscapes and majestic rivers. The vineyards are a feast to the eyes and their fruits a joy to the palate.
Castle, palace and regional highlights include the Montmartre district, the Palace of Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, a Seine Cruise, and Notre Dame in Paris; Fontainebleau Palace, Orléans, Chenonceau Palace, Amboise Castle and village, Manor Clos-Lucé, Cheverny and Chambord Châteaux, Blois Castle and town, Villandry Château, and Tours.
Prague Castle
★★★★★
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Traveler Photo by Francois P at Tripadvisor |
The Chateau de Fougeres is an imposing fort, built on a naturally protected site, a rock emerging from a swamp surrounded by a loop of the Nancon river acting as a natural moat.
It had three different enclosures: the first for defensive purposes; the second for day to day usages in peacetime and for safety of the surrounding populations in times of siege; and the last for the protection of the keep. In all it has an impressive 13 towers.
Valdsdein Palace
★★★★★
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Photo by Rick G on TripAdvisor |
The miedeval Citadel of Carcassonne is located on a hill on the right bank of the River Aude, in the south-east part of the city proper. Founded during the Gallo-Roman period, the citadel derives its reputation from its 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long double surrounding walls interspersed by 52 towers.
The town of Carcassonne has about 2,500 years of history and has seen the Romans, Visigoths, Saracens and Crusaders. The citadel was restored at the end of the 19th century and in 1997 it was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.
Swazchenberg Palace
★★★★☆
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Photo from TripAdvisor contributor @investigator |
The royal Chateau de Chambord is one of the most recognizable castles in the world because of its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The building, which was never completed, was constructed by King Francis I of France.
Chambord is the largest castle in the Loire Valley; it was built to serve as a hunting lodge for Francis I, who maintained his royal residences at the chateaux of Blois and Amboise. The original design of the Chateau de Chambord is attributed, though with some doubt, to Domenico da Cortona; Leonardo da Vinci may also have been involved.
Old Royale Palace
★★★★☆
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Photo from Tripadvisor |
The royal Chateau at Amboise was confiscated by the monarchy in the 15th century, it became a favoured royal residence and was extensively rebuilt. King Charles VIII died at the chateau in 1498 after hitting his head on a door lintel.
The chateau fell into decline from the second half of the 16th century and the majority of the interior buildings were later demolished, but some survived and have been restored, along with the outer defensive circuit of towers and walls. It has been recognised as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1840.
Leonardo da Vinci is buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert, adjoining the Chateau, which had been built in
1491-96.