1. Editedby:MonicaTroughton/SophieHearsay
56 Spring 2 Spring 2 57
Keycamp’s
treehouses give
a bird’s-eye view
Experience the joys of cycling at Château de Chambord and all around the Loire region
S
pending four nights
perched five metres up
a tree with no electricity,
running water or proper
toilet might not be everyone’s cup
of tea, but we had said we wanted
a family adventure and here it was
looming above our heads…
We weren’t expecting the height
of luxury, but were all pleasantly
surprised as we climbed the wooden
spiral staircase to Keycamp
Holidays’ Treehouse Number 2 at
Château des Marais in the beautiful
Loire Valley. It looked like the ideal
way to experience a real taste of
the great outdoors.
Having signed the health and
safety notice — agreeing not to
ascend to the treehouse inebriated
and confirming we were neither
sleepwalkers nor scared of heights
— we were given a quick tour.
Our home consisted of two
thatched-roofed huts with tree
trunks growing through the middle
and a central platform which was
to be our dining area. Each hut
slept three and had a composting
toilet (ie, a bucket of sawdust), but,
‘No one ever uses them,’ said our
guide Nick. Luckily the toilet block
was a mere sprint away.
Back on the ground, we found the
Frontier Tent containing the cooking
facilities, fridge and spare beds for
when you fancy putting your feet
on terra firma. So, equipped for any
eventuality, our five-day adventure
began.
The treehouse fitted perfectly in
the parc, which is set in the peaceful
wooded grounds of an old stone
manor house. It’s just a kilometre
from the village and a few minutes
drive or a short cycle ride from the
largest château in the Loire Valley.
The magnificent edifice of Château
de Chambord rises out of the forest
and — whatever direction you
approach from — looks like it’s just
popped out of Disneyland.
Work on Chambord began in 1519
by King François I, who wanted a
hunting lodge. Over 20 years in
the construction, this massive
Renaissance structure was inspired
by Italian architecture — Leonardo
da Vinci himself is said to have been
involved in its planning.
Laid out like a castle, with a
central keep and four immense
towers, it boasts over 400 rooms
and a spectacular double-helix
open central staircase at its core
that is believed to be of Leonardo’s
design. It rises up in two spirals and
what’s unique about it is that if two
of you go down one set of stairs
each, you can see one another,
but your paths don’t ever cross!
There are only two sets of
furnished rooms left inside — the
chambers of François I and Louis
XIV, under whose reign, a century
later, Chambord came back to the
crown — but all the rooms are an
the great outdoors treehouse in France
Anna’s tips
l Hire bikes at Château de
Chambord, it’s a wonderful way to
see every aspect of this beautiful
château. They rent tag-along bikes
for children.
l The Loire Valley produces some
of the best wines in the world. Most
producers offer wine-tasting tours.
Contact the local tourist information
office for opening days and times.
l For wine aficionados, a visit to
Sancerre is essential. The Maison
de Sancerre (a winemaking museum)
is housed in a 14th-century medieval
townhouse on top of a hill.
l The Loire is famous for its many
culinary delights. Look out for
greengages, Gâtinais honey, goats’
cheeses, mushrooms, fresh game,
breads and religieuse — a choux
pastry dessert covered in chocolate.
l Visit www.loire-a-velo.fr for maps,
information and tips on cycling in
the Loire.
l Bring an extra torch or lamp for
the treehouse.
If you fancy branching
out, try a treetop
holiday in the beautiful
Loire Valley. It makes
getting back to nature
very appealing…
Ontopofthe
WORLD
Photos:4CornersImages/AnnaPattenden/Superstock
Tours is lively with plenty of cafés and bars
Some of the best wine in the world is produced in vineyards like this one in Sancerre
The gentle River Cher flows between the arches of the magnificent Château de Chenonceau
impressive sight. Head up to the
roof terrace with its plethora of
chimneys for the best photographic
opportunities of the area.
Despite stabling for 1200 horses
and 5440 hectares of surrounding
hunting grounds, François spent
only 72 days of his 32-year reign at
Chambord. It would be impossible
for a modern visitor to explore it all
in one visit — even the shortest walk
round the grounds takes an hour.
But you can hire a boat to explore
the moat or rent bikes and cycle into
the vast woods to have a picnic.
In the evening, the music and light
extravaganza — or son et lumière
— was spectacular. The Loire Valley
was the birthplace of these shows
and the first took place at Chambord
in 1952. It’s a magical film, projected
on to the château’s façade, blending
magic and myth with history and
emphasising the beauty of the
building. We sat on the other side
of the moat and watched in awe.
Bowled over by the beauty of
Chambord, we wondered if any
other château could match it —
let alone beat it. Step up Château
de Chenonceau, an hour’s drive
southwest of Chambord and the
most photographed château in the
Loire. As we approached via the
Grand Avenue of Plane Trees, we
were stunned when the
tree-lined path ended,
giving way to a glimpse
of a building fit for a
princess.
Built between
1515 and 1521
and known as Le
Château des Dames
(‘the Ladies’ Château’),
it was women who had
the most influence on its
construction — and two of
the greatest were love rivals. The
château was given as a gift by King
Henri II to his mistress, Diane de
Poitiers, in 1547. She designed the
beautiful arched bridge across the
River Cher and oversaw the planting
of extensive fruit and vegetable
gardens. But when Henri died in
1559, his widow, Catherine de’
Medici, seized control of the estate
and had Diane expelled. Catherine
designed the gigantic Italian maze
and, in 1577, added the grand
gallery to the bridge.
Inside, the rooms are filled with
Renaissance furniture and some of
the finest 16th- and 17th-century
tapestries and masterpieces in the
world. We explored the restored
16th-century farm buildings, the
huge vegetable and flower gardens,
then set our son Matthew loose in
the children’s play area. We also
hired a kayak and spent an hour
meandering through the arches of
Chenonceau, admiring the incredible
beauty surrounding us.
Having caught the kayaking bug
wonderful local wines and indulged
in the most delicious goats’ cheese,
made on site.
The owner told us that the best
wines were never exported out of
France, so we duly exited with a
case of six bottles. We wandered
round the vineyard where grapes
hung like pendants on the vine.
Another highlight of our trip was
the day Matthew learnt to ride his
bike unaided in the grounds of
Chambord. The Loire is a fabulous
place for cycling holidays, especially
now it has a dedicated cycle route,
La Loire à Vélo, which follows the
route of the river for 650km.
The routes are flat, safe and well
signposted, and a quarter of
it is on cycle-only tracks.
When you book with
Keycamp, you can download
the Cycle Notes from their
website and follow their
ideas for local rides. Hire
bikes from the parc and
go at your own pace on
trips graded from easy to
challenging.
Historically, the Loire
region is fascinating.
The city of Orléans,
50km from the parc,
used to be the second
largest city in France.
It’s most famous
for its links with
Here we go!
For more details on the Loire Valley visit www.loirevalleytourism.com
To request a brochure or make a booking, contact Keycamp on 0844 406
0319 or visit www.keycamp.co.uk
Joan of Arc, who in 1429 liberated
the city from the British during the
Hundred Years’ War, before being
burnt at the stake for witchcraft. A
statue of perhaps France’s most
patriotic martyr stands imposingly
in the Place du Martroi.
The city of Blois, just 19km from
the parc, has a famous castle high
on a hill that has been linked with
royalty throughout history. Take
a ride around the old town in a
barouche — a 19th-century
horse-drawn carriage. Opposite
the castle is the magnificent home
of France’s most famous magician,
Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin,
which is open to the public as an
interactive museum and theatre.
His ‘dragon clock’ opens on the
hour and the six heads of a dragon
move in and out of the windows in
a theatrical display set to music.
Tours, 84km away, was one of the
great pilgrimage sites of medieval
Europe and is now a lively university
town. It is reputed to be the place
in which the purest form of French
is spoken, and its vineyards are
famous for Vouvray sparkling wine.
Château-ed out by now, we
decided to enjoy all the fantastic
facilities the Keycamp site had to
offer. We swam, played table tennis
and used the outdoor gym. Our son
begged us to let him go to the kids’
club and, with some trepidation, we
waved him off on his own.
We needn’t have worried — when
we picked him up, he’d had a lot
of fun and had made lots of friends
who all wanted to come and see
the treehouse.
A guided tour ensued and a
caterpillar of children climbed the
stairs to our wooden home. They
ran around squealing, then one
little girl turned to my son and said:
‘Matthew, this treehouse rocks!’
She wasn’t wrong, our four-night
stay in the treehouse — and indeed
the whole area — rocked for us too!
Anna Pattenden
and mastered the tricky art of going
left and right with two competing
oars, we were ready to take on the
challenge of kayaking en
famille down the Loire.
There are companies
renting out kayaks all
along the river and
they can be hired by
the hour, day or half
day. We left our car at
St Dye-sur-Loire and
were driven up river to
our departure point.
With life jackets donned
and rowing lesson complete,
we tentatively stepped into our
vessel. Taking to the water
was undoubtedly one of
the highlights of our trip.
Drifting along to the
rhythms of the river left
us relaxed and able to
fully enjoy the birdlife and
the châteaux-dominated
skyline.
Back at base, we
returned just in time
to catch Keycamp’s
weekly tour to the
local vineyard at
Muides-sur-Loire,
just a five-minute walk
from the parc. Here
we tasted some
Anna, Matthew and Patrick go kayak mad!
Orléans’ statue of Joan of Arc
Dragon clock, Blois