Château de Chambord – Amazing, huge and almost completely unused

It is difficult to truly grasp the size of Chambord Castle, even as the castle rises before me in all its splendor with its spires, towers, 440 rooms and 282 chimneys. This is one of the world's largest and most beautiful castles. A monument that should have fit like a glove as the home of the King of France. But here's a twist – Chambord was not built to live in. The castle was built solely to impress. Welcome to one of the world's largest and most lavish castles, which hardly anyone has ever lived in.

I had no real idea what to expect when visiting the palace. The parking lot was gigantic and the flow of visitors was constant. It wasn't overcrowded with tourists like Versailles, but with the gigantic garden and park, it never felt completely full here.

The location of the castle was carefully chosen by the king. Rivers, forests and open fields make the castle almost seem to float above the landscape. At the same time, the castle was practically in the middle of enormous hunting grounds of 50 km², surrounded by quarries and close to the king's other residence in the region.

Construction of the Château de Chambord began in 1519 on the orders of King François I and continued until his death in 1547. For over thirty years, almost 2,000 craftsmen worked here and the castle was barely finished before François I passed away. The cost? 444070 livres, which in today's purchasing power would be the equivalent of many billions kronor. Chambord is a showpiece of rank – a monument to the king's power, taste and ambition, a place that would impress guests and show the wealth of France. At a time when the common man in France lived a very different life, with long working days in the fields, heavy taxes, war and famine.

We booked tickets to the castle the same day we went here. Maybe that was optimistic, but it turned out to work well at the end of July. There was no queue to enter the castle, but the security was heavy and large bags were not allowed to be brought into the castle. We had the dog with us so we took turns going in, but it was not completely unpleasant to sit on a bench in the beautiful park.

Once inside the castle, I was greeted by huge rooms with high ceilings and lots of sunlight from the large windows. The walls and ceiling were decorated with an abundance of François I's symbols – the salamander and the letter "F". But my eyes were drawn to something else. The large double spiral staircase, said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci. This clever double staircase allows two people to go up and down the stairs at the same time without ever meeting. Unusual in the 16th century and still unusual today.

King François I lived here for a total of seven weeks throughout his life. The castle was emptied of everything between visits, so every time the king came to visit, all the furniture and all the food had to be transported here. Since it was such a large project, dinner usually consisted of the game that the guests had hunted that day. But it was not entirely pleasant to visit the castle. The enormous windows and gigantic rooms made it difficult to heat the castle, and without a village nearby, everything had to be transported here by hand. A gigantic project, as the king, court and guests could mean 2000 guests.

After the death of François I, Chambord was left completely empty for almost a hundred years. It was only under Gaston, Duke of Orléans, and later under Louis XIV that parts of the building were restored and the castle began to be used again – but still more as a hunting and representation palace than as a permanent residence. The castle was abandoned again and again. After many owners and world wars, the castle finally ended up in the possession of the French state in 1930.

But Chambord is not just a show-off, but also one of the most fantastic castles in the Loire Valley – and perhaps even in the world. As a visitor today, you will be greeted indoors by period furniture and textiles and many of the rooms feel restored to their former glory. Since 1981, Château de Chambord has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and many castles in the world have taken inspiration from here over the years. Among them is the beautiful North German castle Schwerin Castle.

I walked around all the floors, rooms, nooks and crannies of the castle. Not all 400 rooms were open to visitors, but that was understandable. The rooms that were furnished were more than enough. The castle is truly gigantic and parts of one wing need to be renovated soon. The estimated cost of the renovation is 37 million euros. A handsome sum that will be covered by the entrance fee from us visitors.

When I returned outside, I was met by Lilibet who had found a new favorite spot under a bench. We strolled a bit through the garden and the 600 trees, 800 shrubs and over 15000 plants that surround the castle. Unfortunately, large parts of the French garden were closed during our visit, but we were able to take a walk in the rest of the large park and look at the stables and horse shows.

We ended our visit with a leisurely stroll through the kitchen garden and the extensive park. It was easy to get lost in the alleys, watch the horses grazing, peek at the well-tended flower beds and contemplate life in the 16th century – for both king and subjects. But seeing the entire castle from a distance gives the whole structure some perspective.

It felt like a paradox. The more we learned about Chambord, the harder it became to understand. What was the king really thinking? How did he justify a building of this size – 440 rooms, staircases designed to impress rather than be used, a palace park larger than many cities – when the castle was barely used? All this beauty, all this work, all this money, for a palace that was mostly empty.

Chambord never became a home. It became a monument. A monument to power, prestige, and a self-confidence that knew no bounds. And perhaps that was precisely the problem.

As we left, it struck us that Chambord tells the story of not just a king and a castle, but of an entire system that ultimately became too big, too expensive, and too far removed from reality. A fairytale castle in stone – as grand and magnificent as it was unsustainable.

How do I get to Château de Chambord?

Chambord Castle is located in the Loire Valley, midway between the cities of Blois and Orléans. To experience all the castles in the area, a car is more or less a must. By car from Paris it takes about 2,5 hours (about 180 km) via the A10 and D924. You can also take Take the train to Blois (takes 1,5 hours from Paris) and rent a car here.

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