Le Haut Lieu

Price: €15.90 (public price: €16.90) Imagine a palace delicately poised above the Loire, with gardens suspended between heaven and earth... It's hardly surprising that Amboise was a favorite site for the kings of France as they transformed their country during the Renaissance. Charles VIII and François I, Leonardo da Vinci and the iconic Queen Anne de Bretagne are all familiar faces here. Even today, the view is breathtaking! A 360° panorama of landscapes listed as a World Heritage Site. A castle open to nature, a haven of peace for birds, Amboise is also a place of innovation, where innovations such as the HistoPad enhance the experience. LPO Refuge.

Price: €11.50 (public price: €12.50€) Owned by the Indre et Loire Departmental Council, the site comprises two castles: the keep built by the Count of Anjou, Foulques Nerra, and the royal dwelling with its Renaissance architecture. The latter saw Agnès Sorel, Joan of Arc and Anne of Brittany pass through. A pretty medieval garden is also located at the foot of the keep. Each year, a new exhibition is proposed in parallel with the augmented reality tours on the Histopad tablets.

Price: €17 (public price: €18) Its arches gracefully span the Cher. Cherished by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis, Chenonceau remains the most visited château in France after Versailles. Wonderfully furnished (ah, its kitchens!), this 16th century château can be visited with an iPod. You'll fall under the spell of the gardens planted on either side of the keep... and the delightful village, whose name is spelt with an ‘x’!