Castle · Chambord, France
Château de Chambord
The Château de Chambord in Chambord, Centre-Val de Loire, France, is one of the most recognisable châteaux in the world because of its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture, which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. Built 1519.
Photo: Carsten Steger via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Chambord, France |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Built | 1519 |
| Architect | Pierre Nepveu, Jacques Sourdeau |
| Coordinates | 47.6161° N, 1.5172° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Château de Chambord is known for
The Château de Chambord in Chambord, Centre-Val de Loire, France, is one of the most recognisable châteaux in the world because of its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture, which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures.
About Château de Chambord
The Château de Chambord in Chambord, Centre-Val de Loire, France, is one of the most recognisable châteaux in the world because of its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture, which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The building was commissioned by Francis I of France and built between 1519 and 1547. Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley; it was built to serve as a hunting lodge for Francis I, who maintained his royal residences at the Château de Blois and Amboise.
History
Who designed the Château de Chambord is a matter of controversy. The original design is attributed, though with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona, whose wooden model for the design survived long enough to be drawn by André Félibien in the 17th century. In the drawings of the model, the main staircase of the keep is shown with two straight, parallel flights of steps separated by a passage and is located in one of the arms of the cross.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Château de Chambord website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Chambord |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Le Mans-Arnage Airport (LME) |
| Distance from the airport | 29.3 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Paris-Orly Airport (ORY) · Paris (Orly, Val-de-Marne), France · 86.2 miles away
- Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) · Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise), France · 107.4 miles away
- Beauvais-Tillé airport (BVA) · Beauvais, France · 129.9 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in France
More castles
Frequently asked questions
What is Château de Chambord?
The Château de Chambord in Chambord, Centre-Val de Loire, France, is one of the most recognisable châteaux in the world because of its very distinctive French Renaissance architecture, which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures.
Where is Château de Chambord located?
Château de Chambord is in Chambord, France. Its coordinates are 47.6161° N, 1.5172° E.
How do I get to Château de Chambord?
The nearest town is Chambord, and the nearest airport is Le Mans-Arnage Airport (LME), about 29.3 miles away (straight line).
When was Château de Chambord built?
Château de Chambord was built 1519.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Chambord — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205367 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- http://www.chambord.org — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.