And we came back to mighty beautiful Chambord ! It has been said that the stretch of land on both sides of the Loire river passing by several famous towns for its castles was referred to as the valley of the kings. Well Chambord is the king of the valley! Chambord is a small village with a huge castle and even bigger forest in dept Loir-et- Cher,no 41 of the Centre-Val de Loire region of my belle France. As usual , I have written plenty but never enough when you consider the magnificent of Chambord. Therefore, here is my take on the Port and parterre park of Chambord !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The village of Chambord is famous for its castle and its fully enclosed park, a national hunting reserve where presidential hunts once took place. The village and the entire territory are the property of the French State, administered in the form of a public industrial and commercial establishment called the Domaine national de Chambord. It is 18 km from Blois 54 km from Orléans , 82 km from Tours, 32 km from Meung sur Loire, 170 km from Versailles, and 435 km from my current home, I have been here from Versailles along the A10 to D112 and from my current home along the N165, A11 A85, A10 D956 D951 and D84, The latest was 35 min 31 km from our hotel in Meung sur Loire to Chambord follow D2 and D2152 towards Av. de Chambord/D925 to Beaugency, At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Av. d’Orléans/D2152, Follow D925 towards D951 to Saint-Laurent-Nouan turn left onto Av. de Chambord/D925 (signs towards Lailly en Val/La Ferté St A./St Laurent des Eaux) Continue to follow D925 turn left onto Pont de Beaugency/D925 turn right onto D925 (signs towards La Ferté St Cyr/Chambord) at the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto D951 , Follow D112B and D112 towards Place Saint-Louis to Chambord.
The port of Chambord has plenty of leisure activities such as electric carts, boats, and bicycles accessible from the pier from April 5, 2025 to November 2, 2025. The pier is open from 9h30 to 18h45 (last cart rental at 18h). With family or friends, come and rediscover the area around the canal and the castle along a specially designed route. With family or as a couple, a 15 km route of cycle paths in the heart of the area open to the public will allow you to discover the treasures of the forest: the flora and animals are not far away! The more athletic can reach the surrounding sites and castles and appreciate the gentleness of the Loire. Discover the castle, its French gardens and its surroundings from a unique perspective in an electric boat. The Sailors of the Port of Chambord sail the Loire River, 5 minutes from the Château de Chambord, on a boat identical to those that transported its construction materials. As you glide along the river, you’ll discover this magnificent landscape and its preserved species, as well as the history of the Loire River’s maritime heritage.


Built in the heart of the largest enclosed forest park in Europe with approximately 50 km2 surrounded by a 32 km long wall begun in 1542, it is the largest of the Loire castles. Chambord is the only royal domain still intact since its creation ! The surface of the national domain of Chambord ,also includes several ponds such as Halay, Fontaine, Baquetière, Grande-Brèche, Montrieux, Neuf, Faisanderie, Périou, Thibaudière and Bonshommes. The Cosson river, a tributary of the Beuvron, crosses the territory of the domain from east to west. This wall of 2.50 meters of average height rests on foundations 70 cm deep. It is made up of small dry stones of limestone from Beauce. The gates created in the perimeter wall were lined with gates which remained in principle closed at night until the beginning of the 20C.


The management of the wooded areas of the park is currently carried out by agents from the National Forestry Office (ONF) , and the National Hunting and Wildlife Office (ONCFS) made available to the estate. A third of the forest area of the national domain of Chambord is covered with coniferous trees. In these plots, on average, thinning or stand regeneration is carried out every ten years, if it is mature. Between 12,000 and 15,000 m3 of wood are exploited per year. In 1969, the national domain of Chambord was one of the first French sites to install observatories in the forest. There are eleven observatories in the part of the grounds open to the public, five of which can accommodate fifty people, and six have a capacity of three to four people. These elevated platforms allow the observer to spot , if lucky ; a wild animal, without it being locked up, like in a zoo.
The official marins du port de Chambord : https://marins-port-chambord.fr/reservations/
The official Nature 2000 ecolo park system on Chambord: https://www.natura2000.fr/site-natura/domaine-chambord
The official Domaine National de Chambord : https://www.chambord.org/fr/decouvrir/decouvrir-le-parc-domaine-chambord/
The local Blois-Chambord tourist office on the castle: https://www.bloischambord.co.uk/discover-the-destination/the-loire-valley-castles/chateau-de-chambord/
The Loire Valley Centre Val de Loire region tourist office on the domaine de Chambord : https://www.loirevalley-france.co.uk/discover/loire-chateaux/national-domain-chambord/
There you go folks, I say the king of the valley of the kings, Chambord, undescribable. A must to visit while in France. We had come back, and will again. We were there even during Christmas magical, and concerts awesome. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Port and parterre park of Chambord !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels , good health, and many cheers to all !!!