With its towers and sloping roofs, this château has a proud air to it, dominating the Loire from its pedestal. King René rebuilt this château as a “love mansion” in the 14C, adorning it with a well thought out decorative design in the Gothic style. At the end of the 16C, the château was again fortified, and today houses the Horse Museum and the Museum of Decorative Arts.

Inside this beautiful Romanesque building are some very beautiful tapestries (15C-17C). The organ case supported by atlas figures dates from 1690.

Last resting place of the Plantagenets, the abbey of Fontevraud remains (despite numerous mutilations) one of France’s most important monastic sites. Don’t miss the vast 12C church and the Plantagenet tombs in its chancel, the 16C wall paintings in the chapter house of the Ste-Marie cloister, the 12C St Benoît’s Chapel and the amazing Romanesque kitchen. Since 1975, the abbey has been a residential centre for creatives, bringing life to the site (concerts, exhibitions…).