Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil

Ainay-le-Vieil

Visit

Hours to be confirmed

Book a visit

You are leaving for the château’s own website

See guided tours and skip-the-line tickets tooTickets via our partner GetYourGuide, affiliate link

Prices: from €13.00
Visit duration: 75 min
Where: Ainay-le-Vieil

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

château de Peufeilhoux (Peufeilhoux Castle)from €12.0014 km
château de Châteaufer (Châteaufer Castle)from 28/06 to 12/07 and from Easter to All Saints' Day, by appointment (booking required)17 km
Château de la Brosse (Brosse Castle)Open to visitors14 km

Sleep nearby

This week in the agenda

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

du 28 mars au 26 avril: tous les jours sauf le mardi, week-end et/ou jours fériés de 10h à 18h
du 27 avril au 30 août: tous les jours de 10h à 19h
du 31 août au 27 septembre: tous les jours sauf le mardi, week-end et/ou jours fériés de 10h à 18h
le 20 septembre: 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: €13.00
Child: Free
Reduced: €10.00

Free for Children under 5 years old; carer accompanying a person with reduced mobility

Visit duration: 75 min
Wheelchair access: Grounds accessible
Dogs: Allowed on a lead
Parking: Landscaped 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 and impassable 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

Loading the map…

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.

Get directions View on a map

Château phone number

+33 2 48 63 02 88

Call

The safest check before setting off: today’s hours, guided-tour availability, where to park.

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