The Château de Chenonceau straddles the River Cher on a five-arched bridge, and the gallery that Catherine de' Medici built atop that bridge — 60 meters long, with mullioned windows on both sides — is one of the most recognizable images of the French Renaissance. From the water, looking up at the arches with their reflections and the castle rising behind, you understand why this is the second most visited château in France after Versailles.
The château was begun in 1514 and passed through the hands of the French crown and a series of remarkable women. Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri II, received it as a gift and built the bridge across the river. Catherine de' Medici, Henri's queen, forced Diane out after his death and added the gallery above the bridge. Louise de Lorraine, queen to Henri III, retreated here in mourning after her husband's assassination and had the ceilings of her rooms painted black. The Menier chocolate family bought it in 1913 and has maintained it with care ever since.
Inside, the fifteen open rooms include the Kitchen (one of the finest rooms in the château, with its own dungeon and bridge connection to the outbuildings), the Chapel with its original stained glass, the Henri II Gallery, and the Long Gallery over the river. Allow two to three hours for the interior alone.