Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil

Ainay-le-Vieil

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Tickets and prices

Adult: €13
Child: Free
Reduced: €10

Free for Children under 5 ; companion of a person with reduced mobility

Prices and tickets on the château’s website

Prices checked at the source on August 4, 2026

Visit duration: 75 min
Where: Ainay-le-Vieil

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

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Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil stands in Ainay-le-Vieil (Cher), in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. The building is listed as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 19th century). Adult admission costs 13 EUR. Its opening hours and prices were verified at the source on August 4, 2026.

In the heart of the Berry region, the château of Ainay-le-Vieil presents an eight-sided fortified enclosure built around 1330-1340 for Jean de Sully, whose circular layout earned it the nickname 'little Carcassonne'. Within this defensive stronghold stands a residential wing built around 1500-1510 by Claude de Bigny and his wife, in a style bridging Gothic and early Renaissance. The site combines medieval military austerity with the refinement of a late Gothic dwelling, set within gardens reshaped in the 19th century. The estate lies along the Jacques Cœur tourist route, a figure tied to the property's history.

Written from Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil

What to know

The visit lasts about 75 minutes.
The adult admission fee is 13 euros.
Only the park is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
Dogs are allowed on a leash.
The car park offers disabled parking, electric charging points and motorhome spaces, but coaches must park near the town hall.

Practical information

Opening hours

from 28 March to 26 April: tous les jours sauf le mardi, week-end et/ou jours fériés de 10h à 18h
from 27 April to 30 August: tous les jours de 10h à 19h
from 31 August to 27 September: tous les jours sauf le mardi, week-end et/ou jours fériés de 10h à 18h
on 20 September: ouverture exceptionnelle de 10h à 19h (Journées Européennes du Patrimoine)

Annual closures : Tuesday (except weekends and public holidays) from 28 March to 26 April and from 31 August to 27 September

Prices

Adult: €13
Child: Free
Reduced: €10

Free for Children under 5 ; companion of a person with reduced mobility

Visit duration: 75 min
Wheelchair access: Grounds accessible
Dogs: Allowed on a lead
Parking: Dedicated parking area, car park under video surveillance, 2 spaces for electric vehicle charging, 2 disabled parking spaces, 2 motorhome spaces, closed at night. Coaches are not allowed in the château car park but may park next to the mairie.

Some circulation areas in the château are narrow, making passage impossible for wheelchair users (stairs leading to the ramparts and to the Renaissance residence). The park and gardens remain accessible (grass and sand).

On site

Food and drink
Gift shop
Picnic area
Child-friendly

Where this château is

Ainay-le-Vieil · Cher · Centre-Val de Loire

Map of the area around Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

7 Rue du Château, 18200 Ainay-le-Vieil

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Château phone number

+33 2 48 63 02 88

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4.5 / 5from 1,200 Google reviews

Heritage status: Listed historic monument (classé); Mérimée record PA00096626
Period of construction: 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 19th century