VISIT TO THE CASTLES

5 minutes away

Langeais castle and park

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

The Château de Langeais, both fortress and princely residence, conceals multiple treasures: sculpted furniture, rich hangings, art objects recall the life of the great lords. The reconstruction of the secret marriage of Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany which marks the attachment of the duchy to the crown of France and the remains of the oldest stone keep located in the heart of the park take you back to the times of the Middle Ages. Activities for young and old are offered throughout the year. Langeais Castle is one of the last to have a drawbridge still in working order.

10 minutes away

Villandry castle and park

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Last of the great Loire castles erected during the Renaissance in the Loire Valley. he Château de Villandry is best known, in France and throughout the world, for its marvelous gardens. You can stroll through the Renaissance vegetable garden, the “Gardens of Love”, the water garden, the medicinal plants garden, the labyrinth, without forgetting the exuberant garden of the sun.

Château de l'Islette

A Renaissance castle enclosed by the arms of the Indre, the Château de l'Islette was home to the passionate loves of Rodin and Camille Claudel. She sculpted La Petite Châtelaine there, a bronze of which you can admire.

Château Azay le Rideau

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Azay-le-Rideau Castle is one of the most famous castles in the Loire Valley. Built during the reign of François I by Gilles Berthelot (treasurer of France, and former advisor to King Louis XII), the castle of Azay-le-Rideau offers all the charm of the First Renaissance, which combines French architectural tradition and The influence of Italian art in the decor and order of the facades. This 16th century masterpiece is surrounded by a romantic park, and stands on an island designed by the Indre, a river which feeds a mirror of water. Inside, the Azay-le-Rideau castle is equipped with prestigious historical decorations retracing 4 centuries of French history, as well as sumptuous collections of objects, tapestries and furniture.

Medieval Castle of Cinq Mars

Feudal castle from the 10th century, remodeled until the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries, it belonged to the family of the Marquis de Cinq-Mars in 1640. This favorite of Louis XIII was executed and, according to the legend imagined by Alfred de Vigny, his castle dismantled for treason against Richelieu. We visit the 2 round towers from the 12th and 13th centuries, the sleeping bridge and the 16th century moat.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Also worth seeing, the Cinq-Mars pile is a Gallo-Roman funerary pile from the 2nd or 3rd century, extremely well preserved, overlooking the Loire and the Loire Valley. It is 29.5m high, has a square base, and is made of brick. Its origin remains an enigma. It was raised in memory of a famous, yet unknown, individual. This is the tallest burial pile in Gaul still standing, the others being mainly in Aquitaine.

20 minutes away

Château de Gizeux

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Arriving at the Château de Gizeux in 1334, the illustrious du Bellay family, close to the writer, developed this vast residence in Angevin Touraine for nearly 350 years. Furnished and inhabited, it houses the largest collection of wall paintings in the region in the François I gallery (1585) and the gallery of castles (1680). Singularly, these paintings were protected with a thick layer of cob by the inhabitants of the village during the French Revolution, then rediscovered. As a family, during the guided tour, using a booklet and interactive panels, discover the trades of yesteryear and the materials used for the construction of the castle.

The Candé estate

The Domaine de Candé takes you to discover a castle with a daring layout (rarely modern equipment: ultra-modern bathrooms, 1000m² of cellars equipped with state-of-the-art presses, a Bell telephone exchange, a fitness room equipped with equipment worthy of the Titanic...) and invites you to stroll in the heart of a 230 hectare park. 2 hiking trails, 3km and 4.5km, are also offered.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Château de Champchevrier

The Château de Champchevrier (16th - 18th century) is surrounded by a moat. He notably welcomed King Louis XIII. There we discover life on the estate (mecca of hunting) as well as an elegant art of living (ceremonial rooms, royal bedroom, exceptional tapestries, etc.). After visiting the Château de Champchevrier, a 13km hike will offer you a great stroll to explore the surroundings of the estate.

Montbazon Fortress

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

The Montbazon Fortress, stronghold of the terrible Count of Anjou, Foulque III Nerra, dominates the Indre valley and the town of Montbazon, from the top of its rocky spur. It is one of our oldest military constructions. Home to the oldest surviving keep in France, its history extends from the end of the 10th century to the 15th. All summer long, you can discover the trades of the Middle Ages during introductory workshops allowing visitors to leave with their own creations! Children discover the many medieval games and leave with their fortress knight diploma!

Château de Saché (Musé Balzac)

The Château de Saché is one of the privileged places of inspiration for Honoré de Balzac, who located his novel "The Lys in the Valley", in the heart of the Indre valley. The collections of the Balzac museum represent nearly 2,300 pieces (sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, etc.), including works by Rodin.

Château de Vaujours

Seat of the duchy-peerage of La Vallière, the romantic ruins of this 15th century castle will take you through the ages from Jean V de Bueil “the Scourge of the English” to Louis XIV. Guided tours only.

Saint-Pierre de Bourgueil Abbey - Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions

Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions and its 1,500 objects including Touraine headdresses, old postcards, priestly ornaments, artisanal tools, tableware...

30 minutes away

Royal Fortress of Chinon

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

The Royal Fortress of Chinon is a unique medieval testimony in the Loire Valley! Surrounded by the Vienne and numerous vineyards, this high place in French history (Joan of Arc met Charles VII there in 1429 before liberating Orléans) offers several types of visits: guided, free with a Histopad tablet (visit in augmented reality), free with a booklet, course for children... An Escape Game is also offered, as well as activities dedicated to families each holiday period.

Château d'Ussé

Ussé Castle offers its visitors a rich history spanning ten centuries and a unique legend: that of a fairytale castle that gave birth to the myth of Sleeping Beauty. We immerse ourselves in castle life, following in the footsteps of Vauban, Perrault, Chateaubriand, Le Nôtre and Blacas, who still live in this illustrious Loire Valley castle today. But Ussé is above all an inhabited and living castle that never sleeps! Each year, a different exhibition of period costumes punctuates the season, with the aim of providing a better understanding of the customs of ancient times.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Park and garden of the Château de la Bourdaisière

On the banks of the Loire, the Château de La Bourdaisière is surrounded by a vast park. But the queen of places is the tomato.

Château La Roche Racan

The castle of La Roche Racan, considered one of the jewels of the heritage of the Pays de Racan, overlooks the Escotais valley. From the castle terrace, you benefit from a breathtaking view of the Escotais Valley. A visit to the interiors and exteriors of this architectural gem will immerse you in the world of the Poet Racan, who lived there in the 17th century and gave his name to the area. Also worth discovering: the poetic rural trail (1km) and the educational trail on Nature around the castle pond.

Château de Marcilly sur Maulne

Château Henri IV -Louis XIII built after the acquisition of Charles Fouquet in 1608, in the style of Jacques Androuet du Cerceau. Interior chapel on the top floor of the ventral pavilion. Rich decor of wall paintings, painted ceilings and tapestries.

Château de Nitray

Between the woods and the vineyards, the Château de Nitray is an architectural ensemble from the Renaissance, 15th and 16th centuries. It is also an area where winemaking takes place on site. The visit includes: Visit of the ground floor of the castle for groups, the chapel, the dovecote, explanation of winemaking in the winery and cellars, film on a large screen on the cooperage of yesterday and today today, tasting of the estate's wines.

Château de Tours (photo exhibition)

A reference place for the dissemination of contemporary images in all their forms, the Jeu de Paume also has the mission of ensuring the promotion of historical photography. Keen to promote these collections and ensure their rediscovery among as many people as possible, the Jeu de Paume wanted to decentralize part of its exhibitions in the region.

Royal Abbey of Fontevraud

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

The abbey is a “very unique foundation”. It was created by the itinerant monk Robert d’Arbrissel. Very quickly, he made a revolutionary decision for the time: men and women would be governed by an abbess. For seven centuries, the abbey welcomed many nobles of royal blood. But the Revolution chased out all the monks and nuns in 1792. Napoleon then transformed Fontevraud into one of the harshest prisons in France, a role it retained until 1963. A cultural meeting center since 1975, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud pursues the ambition of the Ideal City desired by its founder. It welcomes visitors, artists in residence and delegates on a daily basis. Cultural programming, exhibitions and digital innovations invite everyone to live their own experience of Fontevraud.

Clarity-God Abbey

Cistercian abbey of Notre Dame de la Clarté Dieu, founded in 1239 and partly destroyed during the Revolution.

Saint Paul de Cormery Abbey

The abbey of Cormery built by Ithier in 791, then Alcuin, tutor of Charlemagne, allowed the creation of the town of Cormery. You will discover a beautiful cloister, one of the best preserved refectories in France, a superb early 19th century classroom, beautiful vaulted rooms. The opportunity also to appreciate the restoration work undertaken in the monument. You can also discover the old town built around the abbey.

At 40 minutes

Medieval Castle and gardens of Rivau

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Château du Rivau is a medieval Loire castle surrounded by 14 gardens. Here all the senses are awakened: 500 varieties of fragrant roses, an extraordinary vegetable garden whose vegetables can be tasted in the castle restaurant, monumental works in the gardens and in the castle. But also treasure hunts and costumes for children, a tea room, a locavore restaurant, exhibitions and hammocks for adults.