Montpoupon and Montrésor Castles from Tours

Two lesser-known Loire châteaux, each with a distinct personality, make for a rewarding half-day loop through the quiet countryside south of Tours. Montpoupon, still home to the de la Motte Saint-Pierre family since 1857, pairs a 13th-century keep with one of France's only four hunting museums — 30 rooms of saddles, costumes, and taxidermy, plus a dedicated Hermès room tracing the fashion house's equestrian origins. A short drive further, the Château de Montrésor sits within 11th-century fortress walls and houses Italian paintings, family silver, and a piano Chopin once played, all collected by Polish exile Count Branicki. The terraced gardens drop toward the Indrois valley, and the village below — one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France — invites a stroll along cobbled lanes and a riverside path where the castle reflects in the water. Both châteaux are open seasonally from February to November, so check dates before setting out.