The Loire châteaux are very much part of the landscape, but the choice of which to visit is vast and bewildering, and trying to pack in the maximum can quickly dent your appreciation of their architecture, settings and historical significance.

Of the most famous, Azay-le-Rideau and Chenonceau , both belong exclusively to the Renaissance period and are undoubtedly the most beautiful, rivalled only by the natural beauty of the gardens of Villandry . Blois , with its four wings representing four distinct periods, is extremely impressive, followed by the monstrously huge Chambord . For an evocation of medieval times, the citadel of Loches is hard to beat; other feudal fortresses include the lesser-known Fougères-sur-Bièvre , the ruined Chinon , Langeais , still furnished in fifteenth-century style, Meung-sur-Loire , with its vile dungeons, and Amboise .

Many châteaux that started life as serious military defences were turned into luxurious residences by their regal or ducal owners: good examples are Brissac , Chaumont , with its nineteenth-century stables, Ussé and Sully - Ussé and Sully are most striking for their setting and exterior appearance, so you can admire them without forking out for admission. Le Plessis-Bourré is a fine example of late fifteenth-century elegant residence and strong defences combined. At Valençay , the interior of the Renaissance château is Napoleonic; Cheverny is the prime example of seventeenth-century magnificence; its neighbour Beauregard encloses a sixteenth-century core with seventeenth-century additions but is most famous for its portrait gallery. Other châteaux are more compelling for their contents than for their architecture: Argent-sur-Sauldre , with a brilliant ceramics collection; St-Brisson , with art exhibitions and medieval weaponry demonstrations; Cadillacs at the château in St-Michel-sur-Loire ; a museum of living donkeys at Gizeux ; and La Bussière , celebrating fish and fishing in a fine lake setting with Le Nôtre gardens. At Saumur , a museum of the horse rivals the attraction of the castle itself, while at Angers the extremely impressive medieval castle pales into insignificance when set against the tapestry of the Apocalypse which it houses, the greatest work of art in the Loire valley.

Entry prices can be pretty steep, particularly for the privately owned châteaux. There is no consistency in the concessions offered: if you're over 65, under 25, a student or still at school, check for any reductions and make sure you've got proof of age or a student card with you.