Sited on a promontory dropping steeply down to the River Loir, this castle has the aspect of an austere impenetrable fortress, but on entering its inner courtyard a luxurious aristocratic residence is revealed. Its 12C tower is one of France's best preserved keeps. Both the Dunois wing (c 1460) and the Longueville wing (16C) have fine staircases, one Flamboyant, the other Renaissance. Don't miss the Sainte-Chapelle (15C) with its 15 statues and the huge medieval kitchens.