There are a lot of chateaus in the Loire Valley. We went with Rick Steves's recommendations for a limited variety of them. Chateau Cheverny has been in the same family for six centuries, and the current owners still live in one wing. It was one of the first great houses opened to the public in 1922 as a way to afford the upkeep.
Built between 1624 and 1640, the chateau was originally a hunting retreat for a family of financiers and officers who served several kings of France. The extensive grounds have some beautiful flowers.
The exterior stone is set in a horizontal pattern, with Roman marble busts brought back from Italy.
The dining room is one of the more plain rooms. The furniture is not to be moved easily.
The stone staircase is covered with carvings.
The prehistoric antlers above the landing are from a 6000-year-old ancestor of the elk, found in the Siberian ice fields 200 years ago. They are mounted at the actual height of the animal.
The decor of the rest of the rooms is not restrained.
The arms room shows how much fun it would have been to be a soldier in the middle ages.
The back door to the chateau crosses a nice decorative moat.
The grounds have several ponds and one beautiful duck.
The most distinctive feature of Chateau Cheverny is that it is still a vital hunting venue. The chateau kennels house about 100 French hounds. The hounds are fed at 11:30 every day, and it attracts visitors like the changing guard in London, except for more fun. We arrived earlier and saw two rival groups arguing over one little female. She was holding her own, but I would not have wanted to be her.
At feeding time, the keeper sends the dogs up onto the roof of the kennel.
Then he sets out large feeding troughs. Then he brings in a big part of raw meat and dog food
and shovels it into the tracks.
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