If you love your family as I do, then you will like to spend as much time as you can together, including daily routines and exploring the world. I want to travel and discover new things and places. I am always excited when my family loves exploring places like me.
One of my favorite discoveries is castles. We have already been for a few days in France, next to the coast, and now it’s time to move to the East and visit Axel’s family that lives in Anger and Tour. If you haven’t read our other adventures, you can start here. This is a serial of a blog post following our trip through Europe in 2022.
I am not a person who will take a trip from one spot to another at once. I love to stop on my way to discover the environment, especially here in France, where castles surround everything.
Importance of spending time together
Sometimes we forget how essential it is to spend time with the family, not just to be and sit next to each other, but to have an interactive relationship. Quality time with children and putting the accent on them, how they are feeling, and allowing them to explore places build kids’ self-esteem. That way, we are emotionally more vital, and our bond is better.
Getting Sophie a lot of space to explore and see new things like museums, castles, zoos, and other exciting places can help her to develop communicational skills, especially because she will speak three languages, English, Serbian and French. She will be able to have more positive behaviors, build curiosity, and maybe a desire to learn new things.
On the Road from Saint-Nazaire to Anger
The road was mainly straight and dull but nice to gather thoughts. I love to use those short trips by car to rest from activities. Everything is beautiful and exciting, but it’s mentally and physically demanding.
We are visiting Axel’s sister Julia. We haven’t seen her since Sophie was born. The idea is to see her, sleep over, and go to their brother to Tour the city for his kid’s birthday. That was a perfect occasion for Sophie to meet her cousins. And an excellent opportunity to learn more French through play and joy.
As I mentioned before, I don’t like dull trips, so my idea to stop on our way and see some castles were accepted by Axel and his mom, which was great.
Chateau de Serrant
A beautiful castle made in Renaissance style showed up in front of us. It’s a private residence of the prince de Merode. Merode is one of the most distinguished families of the Belgian nobility. Initially, they came from Germany, but in the last few centuries, they spread to territories of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Chateau was built in a Renaissance style but on the foundations of a medieval fortress. From the 14th century, it was held by the Brie family, and from the 16th century, he started thinking about the modernization of the fort. Lack of funds keeps the project from developing.
After a few owners, Guillaume de Bauturu took over this magnificent monument in 1636. Guillaume used Charles’s plans to continue with the project.
What is so special about Chateau de Serrant
The castle is well known for its library stocked with 12,000 books. Then, the vaulted halls initially held the kitchens and Napoleon’s bedroom. They say he never used them because his visits were two hours long.
A unique side of Chateau de Serrant – visit behind the scenes of the castle
This castle is the first on the Loire River to go upstream from Nantes. It has very unique quests through time. Famous guests like Louis XIV, Napoleon, and the Queen Mother of England.
You can visit the castle like any other. They have a café, a little shop, and the main corridors and rooms. The moment that makes this castle unique is that you can visit backstage of this monument and discover a little bit more about daily life. You will be able to see some corridors and rooms which are never open, such as a bakery, butcher’s shop, attic (room at the top of a building, under the roof), mezzanine (A mezzanine is an intermediate floor (or floors) in a building which is open to the floor below), boiler room…
Some rooms have not changed in the past 100 years and represent the daily life of people who served royalty. Also, we could see the influence of Belle Époque, the German occupation of the last war.
What else can you see in that area?
Castles and Gardens are magnificent to see. You can check a few chateaus:
- Château d’Angers
- Château du Plessis-Macé
- Château de Brissac
Your visit to a Castle with kids
It depends on how old your kids are, which determines how your visit will look. Sophie is two and a half years old and does not need much except to wander through the corridors and run and explore the space.
If your children are a bit older, some stories and songs would be interesting for them to connect to the environment. Also, you can give them the map of a castle, and they can be your leaders and guides.
Be wise and bring water and snacks in case they get hungry. Running through the castle can make them thirsty.
If you want, you can buy them a souvenir. I do not do that, but I thought magnets would be lovely to show all locations Sophie visited.
One more day of our vacation
I find it inspiring to have days like this in my vacation itinerary. We all enjoy the same in a different ways. Adults are more into history and atmosphere mood, while Sophie likes to explore, touch, and see new things.
How do YOU like to spend time on your vacation? What do you want to explore alone or with your family? Leave a comment or some of your experience.
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