Inside Château de Chambord: Secrets, Scandals, and a Staircase Like No Other

Last updated on June 4th, 2025 at 11:19 am

Possibly one of the most recognizable chateaux in Europe, Château de Chambord is absolutely mindblowing in real life. Nothing prepares you for the sheer size of the place, and the pictures I’d seen just didn’t do it justice. A hunting lodge built for a king who barely stayed in it, with 440 rooms, 365 chimneys, and a double-spiral staircase supposedly inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, what’s not to love? 

And yet, for all its grandeur, Chambord holds more secrets than most history books let on. It’s a château that’s been abandoned, restored, looted, and even used as a hiding place for the Mona Lisa during World War II. If walls could talk, Chambord’s would have a lot to say.

The Vision Behind Château de Chambord

As the biggest chateau in the Loire Valley in France, it wasn’t just thrown together; there was a plan and a vision behind the building of this magnificent estate. In 1519, twenty-five year old King Francis I, fresh off the battlefield in Italy and having won a major victory, wanted to celebrate. He was young, powerful, and obsessed with making a name for himself. 

So, he decided to make a statement—not with words, but with stone. He wanted something that would cement his legacy, impress his rivals, and embody the Renaissance ideals he admired. So, he ordered the construction of Chambord, a château so extravagant that it was never really meant to be lived in. It was a power move, a work of art, and, most definitely, a little bit of an ego trip.

Francis saw himself as a patron of the arts and a champion of innovation. He surrounded himself with the brightest minds of his time, including Leonardo da Vinci, who had taken up residence in France under Francis’s invitation. While no official blueprint links da Vinci to its most famous feature, a double-helix staircase, it bears his unmistakable touch. Whether he designed it outright or simply inspired it, we’ll probably never know.

But for all its grandeur, Chambord was never a home. Francis spent only seven weeks there, using it mainly as a hunting retreat. The massive halls, the dizzying staircases, the endless corridors, this was about spectacle, about walking into a room and making everyone gasp. More than 500 years later, Chambord still has that effect.

Chambord Through the Ages

Francis I may have dreamed up Château de Chambord, but he never saw it finished. He died in 1547, leaving behind a beautiful but empty shell, more of a symbol than a functioning royal residence. His son, Henry II, kept construction going until he died during a jousting tournament in July 1552, but Chambord remained more of a showpiece than a home. For decades, it stood largely unused, visited only when a king wanted to throw a hunting party or impress a foreign dignitary.

The château sits within a vast forest, now a national park, but originally designed as a hunting estate. It covered a mind-boggling 5,440 hectares, the size of inner Paris. It was enclosed by a 32-kilometer wall, making it the largest walled estate in Europe. But like the château itself, the grounds took centuries to evolve. 

When Louis XIV became interested in Chambord in the 17th century, he added formal gardens inspired by Versailles. Geometric flower beds, long tree-lined avenues, and ornamental water features transformed the grounds into a showcase of royal grandeur. He added stables, completed some of the unfinished rooms, and even installed a royal suite, though he still didn’t stay long, and it was during the winter he would spend time there. Versailles was his obsession, and Chambord remained a magnificent but impractical afterthought.

Later, in the 18th century, Stanislas Leszczynski, the deposed King of Poland and father-in-law to Louis XV, who lived there for 8-9 years, made his mark by redesigning parts of the gardens and introducing a more relaxed, natural style.

By the 18th century, Chambord had become a headache. Maintaining it was expensive, and with the French Revolution brewing, an abandoned royal château wasn’t exactly safe. In 1792, revolutionaries seized it, stripping its interior of furniture, artwork, and anything of value. For a while, it was even used as a barracks. 

In the 19th century, Chambord was given a new lease on life. The Bourbon monarchy was restored, and the château was gifted to the Duke of Bordeaux, the last hope of the royalists. He never lived there, but restoration efforts began, slowly reviving what had been lost. Later, the French government took control, preserving it as a historical monument.

Then came World War II, when Chambord played an unexpected role. As the Nazis looted France’s art collections, Chambord became a secret hiding place for treasures from the Louvre and other museums. The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and countless masterpieces were smuggled inside its walls, safe from German hands. The château that had once been a symbol of royal excess became a fortress protecting France’s cultural heritage.

The Real History and Stories of the Château

“Such Is Our Pleasure” – The King’s Grand Vision

When Francis I returned from Italy in 1519, he had one thing in mind—legacy. He wanted to build something so extravagant, so impossible to ignore, that it would cement his name in history. “Such is our pleasure,” he was fond of saying, and Chambord was built in that spirit.

No expense was spared. The Cosson River was diverted to supply the château with moats and lakes. Thousands of workers labored for over 25 years through countless delays and interruptions. Yet, when Francis died in 1547, Chambord was still unfinished.

A Château for Show, Not for Living

Chambord was never meant to be a home, and it never became one. It was a stage, a place for spectacle, for grand hunts and lavish feasts, but never for daily life. The vast halls were bitterly cold, so tapestries and thick draperies were brought in to fight the chill. Beds had heavy curtains and horsehair mattresses positioned near fireplaces for warmth. 

The King’s Private Escape

Francis’s own chambers overlooked the lake and grounds, a fitting view for a king who saw himself as a force of nature. His emblem, the salamander, a creature believed to have the power to survive fire, was carved into the walls.

Next to his bedroom, he had his own dressing room, bathroom, and latrines, but more interestingly, a hidden staircase that led straight to the château’s moats. A useful escape route, yes, but also a discreet passage for secret meetings, whether political or romantic.

Love, Power, and Betrayal

Francis was not a man to be tied down, at least not by love. When he was captured by Charles V after the Battle of Pavia in 1525, he secured his release by agreeing to marry Charles’s sister, Eleanor of Habsburg. The match was purely diplomatic, and Francis, who much preferred his mistresses, abandoned her in all but name. 

Eleanor was said to be beautiful. Theodore de Bèze even composed verses about her. But Francis had little interest. In 1545, during what would be his final visit to Chambord, he etched a bitter thought into his bedroom window with the point of a diamond:

“A woman often varies. Crazy is he who trusts her.”

Years later, Louis XIV stood in that same room, read those words, and shattered the pane. No one knows whether he was offended or simply unimpressed. But the question remains: who was Francis writing about? Was it Claude of France, his first wife? Or perhaps the Countess of Thouin, a mistress?

The Women of Chambord

And then there were the other women who truly left their mark on Chambord. Francis’s most famous mistresses had their own place in the château’s history, slipping through its dark corridors and hidden staircases away from prying eyes.

Françoise de Châteaubriant, his first great love, was bold and sharp-witted. Married at 17, she caught the king’s attention and held it for a decade. But when he moved on to a younger mistress, Anne d’Heilly, he demanded that Françoise return all the jewels he had gifted her. She did. But she had them melted down first.

Then there was Anne de Pisseleu, who was the Queen of Chambord for all intents and purposes. She wasn’t just a fleeting romance; she was intelligent, charming, and influenced the court. But power in the royal court was always fleeting. When Francis died, she was swiftly cast out, her lands and titles taken and given to her rival, Diane de Poitiers.

A Royal Showdown: Francis I and Charles V

Chambord was always meant to impress, but never more so than in December 1539, when Francis I hosted his greatest rival, Emperor Charles V. These two men had been locked in a bitter power struggle for years. Charles ruled an empire that stretched from Spain and the Americas to Austria, the Netherlands, and southern Italy. He was calculating, ambitious, and utterly without sentiment. A decade earlier, he had even taken Francis’s sons as hostages, demanding an enormous ransom in exchange for their release.

Now, Francis needed to win him over. Their meeting was crucial, and Chambord, unfinished as it was, had to rise to the occasion. The King’s trusted advisor, the Constable of Montmorency, transformed the château almost overnight. Tapestries were hung, halls were filled with flowers and spices, and great fires roared in every hearth. Charles’s chamber was decorated in black damask and gold, complete with the imperial coat of arms.

Chambord became the epicenter of power for three days, filled with feasts, ballets, and deer hunts. The most powerful figures of the time were in attendance: Queen Eleanor (Francis’s neglected wife and Charles’s sister), Marguerite of Navarre, Catherine de Medici, and the future King Henry II. 

Perfumes burned in every room, the grand fireplaces lit up the corridors, and the court reveled in the spectacle. But as quickly as it began, it was over. On December 19th, Charles V departed, and Francis left for a pilgrimage. The château emptied, the tapestries came down, and Chambord returned to silence.

The Sheer Scale of the Royal Court

When Francis I traveled to Chambord, he brought his entire household. In 1532, that meant 649 officers, including 48 chaplains, 24 cupbearers, 22 doormen, and 80 kitchen staff. His personal medical team alone consisted of eight doctors, seven surgeons, five barbers, and an apothecary. 120 outriders handled the royal post, and a full orchestra accompanied him for ceremonies and celebrations. Can you imagine?

Altogether, Francis’s visits saw Chambord swell to a temporary city of 15,000 people, all needing accommodation, food, and supplies. For a château never meant to be a permanent residence, this was an incredible feat of logistics. 

From Glory to Neglect

After Francis died in 1547, his son Henry II continued the work on Chambord. His mark on the château was less about architecture and more about his devotion to Diane de Poitiers, his influential mistress. The Queen, Catherine de Medici, was said to have dabbled in astrology in Chambord’s bell tower, but despite their occasional presence, the château’s decline had already begun. 

An inventory from this time paints a bleak picture: water damage, missing furniture, and a sense that the great hunting lodge was slowly falling into ruin. For the next century, Chambord became a château that nobody quite knew what to do with. Henri IV never set foot in it. Louis XIII barely glanced at it. And when Louis XIV eventually revived it in 1669, it wasn’t for politics; it was for entertainment. 

The Sun King, an avid hunter, brought his court to Chambord for elaborate hunting parties, grand balls, and even a performance by Molière. But once again, it was a brief revival. After 1684, the court never returned.

The Château No One Wanted

By the 18th century, Chambord had become more of a burden than a prize. In 1725, Louis XV gifted it to his father-in-law, the exiled King Stanislas of Poland, but the damp air from the moats aggravated his rheumatism. He promptly abandoned it in favor of a drier, more comfortable residence nearby.

Gustave Flaubert later summed it up perfectly:

“It was given to lots of people, as if nobody wanted it, or could keep it. It seems never to have been used, and always to have been too big.”

Chambord had never quite found its place in the world. It was a château meant to impress but never to last.

Chambord’s Wildest Years: The Marshal and His Garrison

By the mid-18th century, Chambord had spent more time empty than occupied. That changed in 1748 when Louis XV handed it over to Maurice de Saxe, a military genius with a flair for excess. Fresh from his victory at Fontenoy, Saxe was a showman, a strategist, and a man who knew how to live large.

For the first and last time, Chambord became a fully functioning residence. Saxe brought life back to its halls, filling the château with soldiers, horses, and a constant parade of intrigue. Louis XV allowed him to keep a cavalry regiment, turning Chambord into a military outpost with a theatrical twist. 

The garrison, composed of Poles, Hungarians, Germans, Turks, and other nationalities, paraded through the courtyards every morning in dazzling uniforms, trumpets sounding through the air. The once-abandoned stables were converted into barracks, and Chambord, built for kings, finally became a place where people actually lived.

But life under Maurice de Saxe was anything but ordinary. Chambord was not just a military base; it was a stage for wild celebrations, political maneuvering, and romantic escapades. Then, in 1750, it all came to an abrupt end. Officially, Saxe died of a lung infection. But the rumors tell a different story: a duel fought in Chambord’s vast grounds, a jealous husband, and a fatal wound that ended the Marshal’s extravagant reign. Whether truth or legend, one thing was certain: Chambord’s liveliest years were over.

Revolution, Ruin, and a Lost Crown

With Saxe gone, Chambord fell back into neglect. The French Revolution did what it did best: plundering the château and stripping it of anything valuable. For a brief time, it was repurposed as a garage for Napoleon’s imperial coaches, a humiliating fall for a place once meant to showcase the grandeur of French royalty.

In 1809, Napoleon gifted Chambord to one of his most loyal generals, Louis-Alexandre Berthier, the Prince of Wagram. However, owning Chambord was a costly privilege, and after Berthier’s death, his widow had no choice but to sell it. The château had become too expensive to maintain, too vast to serve a purpose. It wasn’t until 1821 that a national subscription finally secured Chambord’s future, giving it to Henry, Count of Chambord, the grandson of Charles X and the last serious hope of restoring the French monarchy.

Nicknamed the “miracle child” because he was born after his father’s assassination, Henry became the symbol of the royalist movement in France. By 1871, the political tides had shifted in his favor. A royalist assembly dominated the government, and in 1873, Henry was formally offered the throne. But there was a catch: he would have to abandon Henry IV’s white flag in favor of the tricolor.

He refused.

With that single decision, Henry sealed his fate and with it, the fate of the French monarchy. The moment passed, the republic held, and Chambord once again became a relic of what might have been.

A Château Without a Crown

From kings and mistresses to soldiers and emperors, Chambord had played host to power for centuries. But by the end of the 19th century, its story had changed. No longer a prize to be fought over or a stage for royal ambitions, it had become something else: an untouchable monument to a past that France had moved beyond.

Exploring the Château

The chateau has 440 rooms, 83 staircases, and 365 windows. Galleries crisscross the interior, connecting different wings, while grand halls stretch out in every direction. Every corner has a story, from hunting lodges to falconries, from stables to hidden staircases.

But the real magic is in the details. Chambord’s rooftop terrace looks like something straight out of a fairytale: a maze of chimneys, dormers, and carved stone pinnacles rising into the sky. Chateaubriand once described it as “an arabesque, a woman with her hair uplifted by an ascending wind.” 

The Heart of the Château: The Keep

At the center of Chambord lies the keep, comprised of 32 identical five-room apartments. Louis XIV’s apartment, on the first floor, features rich wood paneling from Versailles and Gobelins tapestries, a touch of warmth in an otherwise vast stone palace. This same suite later hosted Stanislas Leszczynski and Maurice de Saxe. Francis I’s apartment sits separately, tucked away in the east wing, accessible through a series of galleries.

One of the most striking spaces in the keep is the chapel, completed under Louis XIV by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Its vaulted ceiling, decorated with golden suns, casts a glow over the space, while the stained-glass windows, added in the 19th century by the Count of Chambord, bathe the chapel in colorful light.

The Double-Helix Staircase

Walk into Chambord’s grand central hall, and you’ll see it. It isn’t just any staircase. It’s two spirals, twisting around each other like dancers, wrapping around a hollow core so that two people can climb simultaneously and never cross paths. It’s a work of pure genius carved in stone. At it’s highest point is a 32-meter lantern crowned with the French fleur-de-lis. 

The big question: who designed it? The official records are silent, but all signs point to Leonardo da Vinci. Francis I was obsessed with the artist-engineer-inventor, bringing him to France and giving him a royal pension in exchange for his ideas. Leonardo spent his final years sketching mechanical wonders at Clos Lucé, just a short ride from Chambord. 

He was fascinated by spirals, from seashells to galaxies, and had already designed similar double-helix structures in his notebooks. Whether he laid the plans for Chambord’s staircase himself or simply inspired its creation, his fingerprints are all over it.

But why build something so elaborate? It was a way for nobles to ascend and descend without ever bumping into someone of lower rank. A king could climb up one spiral while his courtiers moved on the other, catching glimpses of him through openings in the stone but never quite reaching him. As you climb the stairs, you can’t help but wonder who walked before you. What whispered conversations happened on these steps, and what secrets they’ve absorbed over the centuries?

The Rooftop Terraces: Chambord’s Crown

Step onto Chambord’s terraces, and you’ll feel like you’ve entered a miniature city in the sky. A forest of chimneys, dormers, and gables rises from the stone. Some compare it to a cathedral, others to a fairytale castle.

A Garden Reborn

For centuries, Chambord’s gardens had faded into history. Then, in 2017, they were restored to their original 18th-century layout using the same meticulous techniques used for the gardens at Versailles. The numbers alone are staggering:

• 618 mature trees replanted
• 840 shrubs carefully placed
• Over 15,000 border plants and 11,000 flowering perennials
• 176 rose bushes blooming each year

The restoration was designed with sustainability in mind, using low-maintenance plants requiring no chemical treatments. 

A Vineyard with Royal Roots

In 2015, Chambord’s historic vineyard was brought back to life, 500 years after Francis I introduced vines to the Loire Valley. The grape varieties include Romorantin, Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Pinot Blanc. The vineyard covers 35 acres, and the first harvest in 2019 coincided with the anniversary of Chambord’s construction.

Just over a kilometer from the château, the vineyard at L’Ormetrou is part of Chambord’s history. The wines are vinified in a cellar designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, a world-renowned architect, ensuring that even this modern addition to Chambord keeps with its legacy of grandeur.

Staying at Chambord

While the château itself doesn’t offer accommodation, there is an opportunity to stay on the estate, allowing you to soak in the magic of Chambord long after the day-trippers have gone.

Relais de Chambord: A Boutique Stay with a View

For a truly special experience, Relais de Chambord, a four-star boutique hotel, sits just a short walk from the château. With rooms overlooking the turrets and forests, it’s the closest you’ll get to sleeping like royalty. The hotel combines modern luxury with classic French elegance, offering:

• A restaurant and bar serving refined local cuisine
• A spa with a hammam and hot tub for ultimate relaxation
• Bicycle rentals for exploring the estate
• Some of the best sunrise and sunset views of Chambord

With only 55 rooms, it’s an intimate setting, making it ideal for couples or anyone wanting a quiet, immersive experience in the Loire Valley.

Check rates and availability for Relais de Chambord >>>

Tours of Chambord

Several companies offer guided day trips from Paris, combining Chambord with other Loire Valley châteaux like Chenonceau and Amboise. This is a great choice if you want a hassle-free experience with stories you won’t find in the guidebooks. I did one and loved it.

Chambord: Private Guided Tour of the Castle + Reserved Entry

This is the tour I did and absolutely loved. It wasn’t just facts and dates. It was a story and it’s how I was able to write such a detailed article with little insights into the lives of the people who once walked the halls of this chateau.

Check rates and availability >>>

From Amboise: Chambord and Chenonceau Tour with Lunch

Travel back to the days of the French Renaissance on a full-day tour of Chateau de Chenonceau and Chateau de Chambord and enjoy lunch at a private castle hosted by the French Countess who lives there.

Check rates and availability >>>

Amboise: Chambord, Chenonceau Day Trip & Wine Tasting

Enjoy a day at Chenonceau and Chambord with an English guide and sample some of the wines of the Loire Valley at a tasting with a sommelier.

Check rates and availability >>>

The Best Time to Visit and Entry

Chambord is breathtaking year-round, but the best time to visit depends on what you’re looking for. Spring (April–June) has mild weather, and the gardens are in full bloom, making it a great time for wandering the grounds without the summer crowds. 

Summer (July–August) is the busiest season, with events, open-air performances, and long daylight hours, but be prepared for more visitors. It’s the school holidays, so like most of the chateaux in the Loire, it gets very busy with more crowds than in other seasons.

If you prefer a quieter experience, autumn (September–October) is perfect. I went in late September, and there were fewer tourists, but the colors in the gardens were stunning. 

Having said that, I’ve done some of the other chateaux in the winter (December–January), and they transform into a festive wonderland with Christmas decorations and special holiday events.

Entry Times and Dates 2025

• 2 to 4 January: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• 5 January to 28 March: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 29 March to 26 October: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• 27 October to 19 December: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• 20 December to 31 December: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. except 24 and 31 December: closure at 4 p.m.

Opening 2025: every day of the year except 1 January, 20 March and 25 December. Last access 1/2 hours before the casket. The French gardens closed half an hour before the castle.

How to Get To Chateau de Chambord

The château is located in the Loire Valley, about 15 km from Blois and two hours south of Paris. 

By Train

For those relying on public transport, take a train from Paris-Austerlitz to Blois-Chambord Station (about 1.5 hours). From there, a shuttle bus runs directly to the château (April–November), taking around 25 minutes.

By Car

If you’re driving, Chambord is well-signposted and easy to reach. Take the A10 motorway (Paris-Bordeaux), exit at Mer (Exit 16), and follow signs to the château. The drive from Paris takes about two hours, making it an easy day trip. 

Parking

If you’re driving to Chambord, several large parking areas are available 24/7 for a small fee. 

• P0 Parking (600m from the château): Suitable for vehicles under 2.1m, priced at €6 per day. Free spaces are available for PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility) upon presentation of proof at the ticket office.
• P2 Parking (750m from the château): Also for vehicles under 2.1m, at a €5 daily rate. No dedicated PRM spaces.
• P2 Motorhome Parking (750m from the château): Designed for motorhomes and taller vehicles exceeding 2.1m, with a €11 fee per 24 hours. Note that overnight stays are not permitted in the parking lot.

By Bike

Chambord is part of the Loire à Vélo cycling route, so if you’re feeling active, you can cycle from Blois in about an hour. The route is scenic and well-marked, winding through the Loire Valley’s countryside.
There are so many wonderful chateaux to visit in the Loire Valley. I’ve only seen a handful of them, but Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, and Azay le Rideau, were my favorites.

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