The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes

So far I only have postcards of three of the many outstanding castles along the Loire Valley. I hope to get more and maybe one day I'll visit some of them

Château de Cheverny

This postcard was sent by Nadia

The castle of Cheverny, is located between Blois and Chambord and a few kilometres below Cheverny village, and is one of the best preserved castles in all of France - and well worth visiting to admire the highly original works of antique kept there and for its architecture, in both classical and Renaissance styles.

The castle of Cheverny, begun around 1500, was concluded in a few years between 1604 and about 1634 by the Hurault Family and it welcomes visitors with a road 6 kilometres long, wide and lush gardens and a stream. It has a rectangular base, at the corners of which stand four pavilions, and, apparently, the overall design of the building was the work of Jacques Bougier (the architect of Blois) and Jean Mosnier (1600-1656), who respectively headed the construction and decoration of the castle. - in: http://www.loirevalleyfrance.net/castles/chateau-cheverny.html

Château de Chenonceau

This postcard was sent by Marion

The Château de Chenonceau is a French château spanning the River Cher, near the small village of Chenonceaux in the Indre-et-Loire département of the Loire Valley in France. It is one of the best-known châteaux of the Loire valley.

Château de Chenonceau

This postcard was sent by Pasquale

The estate of Chenonceau is first mentioned in writing in the 11th century. The current château was built in 1514–1522 on the foundations of an old mill and was later extended to span the river. The bridge over the river was built (1556-1559) to designs by the French Renaissance architect Philibert de l'Orme, and the gallery on the bridge (1570–1576) to designs by Jean Bullant. - in: wikipedia

Château de Chambord

This postcard was sent from The Netherlands by Gerry

The Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France, is one of the most recognisable châteaux 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 château in the Loire Valley; it was built to serve as a hunting lodge for Francis I, who maintained his royal residences at the châteaux of Blois and Amboise.

Chambord was altered considerably during the twenty-eight years of its construction (1519–1547), during which it was overseen on-site by Pierre Nepveu. With the château nearing completion, Francis showed off his enormous symbol of wealth and power by hosting his old archrival, Emperor Charles V, at Chambord. - in: wikipedia