Château de Chinon

The Château de Chinon stands on a long limestone ridge above the Vienne river, and its three separate fortresses form a line some 400 metres long along the crest. The castle is among the most historically important in the Loire Valley, and its association with Joan of Arc is the reason that many visitors come. The ridge was fortified in the Middle Ages, and the main building campaigns date from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, though a stronghold stood here earlier.

The castle's three parts are the Fort Saint-Georges, the Château du Milieu, the middle castle, and the Fort du Coudray, separated by dry moats. The Fort Saint-Georges was built by Henry II Plantagenet, who ruled England and a large part of France, and who made Chinon one of his favourite residences. He died in the castle in 1189. After the French king Philip Augustus captured Chinon in 1205, it became a royal possession, and the Fort du Coudray was added. In 1308, the Fort du Coudray held leading members of the Order of the Knights Templar during the trial of the order.

The moment that put Chinon in the history books came in March 1429. Joan of Arc, a young peasant woman from Lorraine who claimed to have been sent by God to deliver France, arrived at Chinon to see the dauphin, the future Charles VII, who held his court here, as the English and their Burgundian allies controlled much of northern France. She was brought into the great hall, where, according to tradition, the prince tried to test her by hiding among his courtiers, and she picked him out at once. Her mission, which led to the relief of Orléans, began from here. All that remains of the great hall today is one wall with a monumental fireplace, though the place can be recognised and an exhibition explains the story.

The castle fell into ruin after the sixteenth century, and the long restoration finished in the early twenty-first century, so visitors can walk the ramparts again, climb towers and see rebuilt royal apartments. Guided tours and interactive displays explain medieval architecture, military techniques and the life of the court, and the wide views over the town roofs, the river and the vineyards are a reward. The castle is lit at night.

It suits history lovers, families and walkers, and is best combined with a stroll through Vieux Chinon and a tasting of the local red wine.