First of all, through children's eyes. As the International French Radio (RFI) notes, on the Loire they know how to tell the history of France in such a way that a visit to the sights does not turn into another lesson that only interests parents.
Azay-le-Rideau
Tour buses do not stop at this castle, but they should: it deserves no less attention than the famous trio of Amboise-Chambord-Chenonceau, which tour operators love so much. Among all the Renaissance treasures it possesses, the main one is the staircase with sculptural salamanders of Francis I.
The French, returning from the Italian military campaigns, began to invite Italian masters to their country. They no longer wanted to live in medieval towers with cold keeps; their owners desired Italian elegance and comfort. Thus arose Azay-le-Rideau, the property of the royal minister of finance. The castle stands on an island, surrounded on all sides by canals and a huge park. Balzac, who once dined here, called Azay 'a diamond polished by the Indre' (the Indre is one of the tributaries of the Loire, in the middle of which the castle is built).
Since 2014, the castle has been undergoing restoration. First, the neglected park was restored, then the building itself – the facades, roof, interiors. Restoration work is about to finish, almost all the scaffolding has been removed, and this is a unique opportunity to see the exposed 'innards' of the castle. For example, the wooden load-bearing structures of the towers and roofs – a colossal inverted medieval ship.
The tour for children and adults called 'What kind of construction is this?' tells (and shows) how they work on restoring sculpture, how they manually hew stone, how they replace tiles and outdated pieces of oak structures. The castle archives have preserved a unique document: a financial report on the oaks cut for the construction of Azay-le-Rideau in 1518-1519. To see the work of medieval carpenters 'from the inside' is only possible during restoration.
Moreover, Azay-le-Rideau is not only the name of the castle but also of a wine. This summer, winegrowers themselves will come to the restored palace park to treat tourists. So there will be entertainment for adults too.
“In the first year we will hold two tasting evenings, which we called 18-22. The castle will be open from 6 pm to 10 pm, and visitors will be able to taste local wine accompanied by local products – pâtés, cheeses, and sausages. And most importantly, spend a wonderful evening. The castle garden will also be open. And our winemakers will join the visitors,” says Marielle Henrion, owner of one of the vineyards of Azay-le-Rideau.
Chinon
The royal fortress stands on a high rock at the crossroads of three ancient provinces: Anjou, Poitou, and Touraine. Troops fought for this strategic height since antiquity, and in the 12th century, Henry Plantagenet built a fortress here in the form in which we can see it today.
In the 14th century, one of the most important events of the Knights Templar took place here: in the fortress, the Grand Master of the order, Jacques de Molay, was captured and thrown into the dungeons, who would later be burned at the stake in Paris and, dying, utter his famous curse on the king and the pope. The curse, as is known, came true.
For you yourself and especially for your children (10 years and older), this will perhaps be the most interesting stage of the journey along the Loire. The Chinon castle hosts an escape game within its walls. You are asked to find the key to the tower in an hour, as well as the treasures of Richard the Lionheart (who, of course, also visited his father's fortress). There are many quests; nowadays this is a very common entertainment, but only Chinon conducts it in a real historical building, a protected monument.
Your company (of 4-7 people) will be locked in an ancient tower and will be offered to solve a series of puzzles. Of course, it would be good if one or two people in the company are French-speaking. However, there will be no need to read literary texts, and for children studying French, such an exercise will not seem boring.
Amboise
If you have already traveled through the Loire castles, then you have certainly seen the royal fortress of Amboise. In the chapel of the residence of Francis I, Leonardo da Vinci is buried, whose house, the estate Clos Lucé, is nearby. The French monarch summoned the great engineer and painter to Amboise to build war machines. Nowadays, the machines have been built according to his drawings (from a helicopter to a drawbridge), they are displayed in the park of Clos Lucé, you can play with them, and this is a favorite children's entertainment.
Now there are entertainments for children in the royal residence itself. At the entrance to the Amboise castle, children are given a tablet with a video game that leads them through the grounds and rooms. It is believed that the child must rescue a young squire from trouble and prevent an attack on Francis I, and also learn a bit of Renaissance history. But adults also find it very interesting.