Château de Cheverny

The Château de Cheverny, in Loir-et-Cher, was built between 1624 and 1634 in a classical style, to plans by the architect Jacques Bougier, in Bourré stone. It has belonged to the Hurault family since 1490 and remains a private property, lived in and maintained by their descendants. It has been open to the public since 1922 and welcomes more than 350,000 visitors a year.

The interior has a dining room adorned with thirty-four wooden panels painted by Jean Mosnier, illustrating the story of Don Quixote, as well as a king's bedchamber with tapestries and ceilings painted with mythological themes. A great carved stone staircase and a library of more than 2,000 volumes complete the visit. The estate covers about 100 hectares, with a French-style garden, a long avenue and a kennel housing a pack of hunting hounds. The castle inspired Hergé's Moulinsart in Tintin, and a permanent exhibition has been devoted to it since 2001.

← Other sites in Loir-et-Cher