Château de Chambord, the Loire Valley’s extravagant Renaissance masterpiece, was born from François I’s dream in 1519. Designed (legend says) with Leonardo da Vinci’s genius, its 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces and iconic double-helix staircase spiral beneath a fantastical roofscape of turrets, chimneys and lanterns resembling a stone city skyline. Highlights: the breathtaking central lantern tower glowing at sunset, the vast formal gardens and 13,000-acre forest (France’s largest walled park), boat t