France: Château de Chambord

Chateau de Chambord is the largest chateau in the Loire Valley and one of the most distinct for its Renaissance architecture on a grand scale. The chateau was built but King Francis I and supposedly Leonardo da Vinci was involved in designs. The chateau was never intended to be defensive by any means, so all the moats, bastions, and towers are purely decorative. But grand it is – the central keep building with it multitude of spires and cones and towers is somewhat reminiscent of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. You can visit every floor and then get on the roof to explore the building from high. The rooftop was meant to resemble a town skyline – there are 11 types of towers and 3 types of chimneys, all without any symmetry, framed at the corners by the massive towers of the castle. Another definitive centerpiece of the castle is the double helix open staircase in the center with elaborate carvings on it. The chateau also has over 800 hundred sculpted columns and elaborate rooftop.