Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire

The Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire sits on a hill above the river between Blois and Amboise, a château with a park and a programme that is quite unlike its neighbours. The castle itself is a Renaissance and late-medieval house, with turrets, a drawbridge and a gate that carries the emblems of the Amboise family who built it. Its history is one of the Loire's great stories of women and power: Catherine de' Medici bought it, and after the death of Henri II she forced Diane de Poitiers to exchange it for Chenonceau. Later owners included the Prince de Broglie and his wife, a sugar heiress, who rebuilt parts of the estate and added the extraordinary stables, which are still on show. What makes the domaine special today is the way it combines this heritage with living art. Every year the International Garden Festival fills a large part of the grounds with temporary gardens created by designers from many countries around a theme, and the château, stables and park host contemporary art installations in a yearly art season. The festival runs from spring into autumn, so the experience changes with the date, while the château, the historic stables and the landscape park can be visited in all seasons. It is a very good choice for travellers who have already seen the big names and want something that feels different.

Start at the château. The rooms hold furniture and decoration from several periods, with a room of the astrologer Ruggieri, associated with Catherine de' Medici, and the fine tile floors, tapestries and carved chimney pieces of the Prince de Broglie period. Contemporary installations are often placed in the rooms, which gives the visit an unexpected dialogue between old and new. From the terraces, the views over the Loire are among the best on the river, and the walk down through the park to the water is gentle and rewarding.

The stables are the surprise. They were built in the late nineteenth century for the Prince de Broglie and were among the most modern and luxurious in France, with fine woodwork and lavish fittings for the horses. They remain a separate visit and sit comfortably with the château. The landscape park, designed in the English style, holds old cedars, lawns and, in season, the temporary gardens of the International Garden Festival, which are different every year and range from the playful to the poetic.

In winter the gardens are bare, but the château, stables and park remain open, and the winter art programme gives the grounds a quieter character.

Allow half a day, longer in the garden-festival season. The ground slopes, so wear comfortable shoes, and expect some walking between the château, the stables and the gardens. The domaine is a short drive from Amboise or Blois and about an hour from Tours, with a station at Onzain on the north bank.

Tickets are available in advance, and the domaine keeps its own seasonal schedule for the festival and art season, so check the calendar before you go. If the weather is good, bring a picnic or eat in the village below, and consider combining Chaumont with Amboise or Chenonceau for a day with variety.