Châteauroux, Centre-Val de Loire 36000

A spectacular medieval chateau, restored with hotel-standard renovations, nestled in France's beautiful Berry province. The chateau's emblematic shape, with its tall towers and vast roofs, seems to rise up out of the landscape. The edifice was built in the 15th century. It originally had 14 towers and a keep, which made it one of the main strongholds in the region. During the French Wars of Religion, it became the property of Protestant families. Upon the orders of Cardinal Richelieu, the chateau was partly dismantled to weaken this Huguenot stronghold. Today, seven towers remain. The chateau was extensively restored in 1850 based on proposals from the famous French architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Over the past thirty years, it has been renovated fully and masterfully. Several of its towers and even the keep have kept their original roof frames, which is truly remarkable given the changes made to the edifice over the centuries. All the elevations are made of rubble stone with pointing. The keep's facade and the crenellations along the top of the gatehouse's towers are made of ashlar. The keep, the main section and four of the seven towers are crowned with tall, steep slate roofs. The other towers have flat roofs, hidden behind crenellations. A series of outbuildings are grouped together and set back from the main edifice. They are arranged around several courtyards. The grounds slope down to a river. A swimming pool has been built on a grassy terrace. And a tennis court lies discreetly behind an outbuilding. From the property's commanding position, you can admire far-reaching views of the surrounding landscape.