Sometimes...okay, all the time, when planning for trips, I look for opportunities to visit places that have been on my radar for a long time.  The Loire Valley has been enticing me for years to see its vineyards and several of its biggest treasures...Renaissance-Era Chateaus.

And I bet you’ve seen them in books or movies. They are iconic.  The stuff of fairy tales with their magnificent, white structures, rounded towers (turrets), and graceful gray/blue roofs.  They did not disappoint.  If you are planning a trip to Paris, a side trip of architectural castle-glory is waiting for you in the Loire Valley.  If you only have one day to spare, you could hop on an excursion tour from Paris.  Or, spend the weekend in/around Amboise via various transport options, and take it all in slowly.