Cheverny, France

"Thought by many to be the most perfectly proportioned chateau of all, Cheverny represents the zenith of French classical architecture, the perfect blend of symmetry, geometry and aesthetic order. Built from gleaming stone from the nearby Bourre quarries and surrounded by lush parkland, Cheverny is one of the few chateaux whose original architectural vision has survived the centuries practically unscathed. Since its construction between 1625 and 1634 by Jacques Hurault, an intendant to Louis XII, the castle has hardly been altered, and its interior decoration includes some of the most sumptuous furnishings, tapestries and objets d’art anywhere in the Loire Valley. Owned by the Hurault family for the last six centuries, the apartments include a formal dining room, bridal chamber and children’s playroom (complete with Napoleon III-era toys), as well as a guards’ room full of pikestaffs, claymores and suits of armour. Behind the main chateau is the 18th-century Orangerie, where many priceless artworks (including the Mona Lisa) were stashed during WWII.

"Tintin fans might find the château’s facade oddly familiar: Herge used it as a model (minus the two end towers) for Moulinsart (Marlinspike) Hall, the ancestral home of Tintin’s irascible sidekick, Captain Haddock. A small exhibition, Les Secrets de Moulinsart, explores the Tintin connections. Near the chateau’s gateway are the kennels, home to the pedigree hunting dogs still used by the owners of Cheverny..."    [Lonely Planet France, —Aug 2010]

The photos below also include scenes from the countryside, from Cheverny towards Chaumont sur Loire, which we covered on foot.