The estate's 32-kilometer perimeter wall is the longest of its kind in France.
The park serves as a protected sanctuary for the red deer population, which is managed through population censuses.
The estate includes 1,000 hectares of forest and 4,000 hectares of agricultural land and meadows.
The formal gardens cover 6.5 hectares and required 600 trees, 800 shrubs, and 15,250 plants during their 2017 restoration.
The estate hosts the 'Chambord Festival' annually, utilizing the park grounds for outdoor performances.
Under the reign of Francis I, the estate was designed to function as a self-sustaining hunting reserve and agricultural production site.
The National Estate of Chambord is the largest enclosed forest park in Europe, spanning 5,440 hectares surrounded by a 32-kilometer-long wall. It surrounds the Château de Chambord, the largest château in the Loire Valley, built by King Francis I. The park is a classified nature reserve and a Natura 2000 site, managed to protect local biodiversity including red deer and wild boar. The grounds feature extensive gardens, restored in 2017 to their 18th-century appearance. The estate includes a diverse landscape of woods, wetlands, and agricultural land. It remains one of the few examples of a royal domain preserved intact since the 16th century.
The view from the edge of the formal gardens looking back toward the château's north facade.
Rent a bicycle or an electric cart to navigate the vast forest trails efficiently.
Wear comfortable walking shoes suitable for gravel paths and uneven terrain in the forested areas.
Check the estate map for designated observation points to view wildlife without disturbing the habitat.
Attempting to explore the entire estate on foot, as the scale is far larger than a standard park.
The park remains open year-round, though specific forest trails may occasionally close for environmental management or hunting season.
Stay on marked trails to protect the fragile ecosystem and do not feed the wildlife.
