Favorite Castles\Chateaus\Cathedrals in France

Fontainebleau - not far from Paris, not crowded, much easier than Versailles and just as wonderful.

Clos Luce, Leonardo da Vinci's chateau where he lived when he died, is very interesting. King Francis I built it for him and invited him to live in France. In 2005, IBM built models of his inventions that are scattered throughout the chateau and outside on the grounds. It is located in the town of Amboise a few miles south of Paris. The house is furnished and filled with his paintings, too. It is a more human scale home and not massively big like those on your to-do list.

If you are looking for a fortress that really dominates a place: Château de Pierrefonds north-east of Paris. It’s a 19th century rebuild and also a bit empty inside, but from the outside impressive. Not the most interesting château, but certainly worth a detour in case you are in the neighbourhood. Guédelon a “new” medieval castle under construction with the use of original tools and building methods, located a bit halfway between Paris and Dijon.

I strongly suggest reading Ina Caro's books, The Road from the Past and Paris to the Past. They are very well written and fun to read. She details the history and architecture. You'll find more to put on your to-do list.

It's my impression that there are châteaux (the French word for castles) all over France. I was in Burgundy and Alsace where every tourist office (every little town and village seemed to have one) had brochures for both wine routes and château routes. I always think of Versailles as a palace. There are a few of those in Paris too. The abbeys are also old and interesting. Are you planning to travel to other parts of France?

Consider Chaumont-sur-Loire, a wonderful turreted chateau overlooking the Loire. It's very pretty outside, interesting inside and hosts an International Garden Festival each summer. (A variety of landscape artists create "living works of art" on the grounds of the chateau.) Chaumont also has an interesting relationship with nearby Chanonceau.

The cathedral of Saint-Denis in Paris is considered to be the first Gothic building in Europe. Many French kings and queens are buried there. The crypt is really cool.

Chateau de Vincennes is a fascinating castle complex at the very eastern end of Line 1 on the Metro. There are tours but I think they're only offered in French. You can take a self-guided tour, which we did. There are signs everywhere in English and French which explain not only what the rooms were used for but also architectural changes made to them. For example, one room on the ground floor was originally open and had one large pillar in the center. In the 18th century, I think, they built a wall that enveloped most of the pillar and divided the room in two. They also added a doorway enclosed by a pair of huge wooden doors. The castle complex is like a playground for adults. I loved it.

Cheverny is a lovely chateau, owned by the same family for 300 years. Be there in the afternoon when they feed the hunting dogs. Fougeres sur Bievre is an older, smaller castle that is simple and refreshing after an afternoon battling the Chenonceau crowds. It has fascinating wooden roof structure that you can view.

Mont-St-Michel, Bayeux Cathedral, Reims Cathedral (though much rebuilt), the basilica at Vezelay, Castelnaud castle in the Dordogne, the Hospices de Beaune, the Louvre (duh -- and don't miss the medieval remains in the basement), Chenonceaux, Azay-le-Rideau, the Place des Vosges. Maybe one or two more.....;-)

I agree about Ina Caro's books, well worth reviewing before you go for ideas and inspiration.

Thanks for all of the recommendations! I will definitely check out that book as well.

Chateaux
Around Paris: Versailles, Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte.
In the Loire: Chambord, Chenonceau, Villandry

Cathedrals
Notre Dame de Paris, Chartres, Reims, Amiens, Rouen, St Denis.

I wouldn't have thought of adding St. Denis to the list since I was thinking about chateaux but it is an excellent suggestion:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/confronting-mortality-at-st-denis/
And for chateaux, I would definitely suggest Vaux le Vicomte:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/vaux-le-vicomte-our-last-chateau/
Vaux le Vicomte was designed by the same architects that designed the gardens of Versailles. In fact the owner was arrested and imprisoned by Louis the XIV after being told by Sully that the owner had stolen from the King to afford building the chateau. He was arrested right after the 'housewarming' to which Louis was invited. We particularly loved the grounds. We also liked Ayzay Rideau for its beautiful setting. When you drive through Burgundy or the Loire there is a chateau around every corner. We sometimes just drive and follow signs. Sometimes it is to an old wreckage, sometimes to a place closed to the pubic but we have come up with some treasures that way.

I second the suggestion for Chaumont. Since you've already got Chenonceau (my favorite) and Chambord on the list you'll be within just a very few minutes of Chaumont. Depending on where you stay, you may even drive right by it on your way to Chambord.

I don't know what your rental car plans are, but if it fits in, the cathedral at Laon is a great choice. It's about an hour and a half from CDG and makes an easy first or last stop on your trip. It's very lightly visited and you can frequently park right by the building. Metz is another great opportunity if you're heading east to Verdun or to the Alsace.