Chateau de Chenonceau, near the small village of Chenonceaux in the Indre-et-Loire département of the Loire Valley of France, sits in a pretty setting literally on the Cher River and surrounded by gardens on the adjacent terraces and river banks. It is a short distance south-east of Amboise.

Chenonceau is one of the most visited of the castles in the Loire Valley and certainly one of our favourite castles in France - if you can only visit one or two castles in the region this should be on your shortlist!