Can you visit the inside of the château de Surgères?

The former seigneurial residence now serves as the town hall, so it is not open for interior visits like a classic château.

Where does the name of the Tour Hélène come from?

It honours Hélène de Fonsèque, lady of Surgères and muse of the poet Ronsard, and is a surviving remnant of the 12th-century medieval castle.

Who saved the façade of the Notre-Dame church?

Prosper Mérimée intervened in 1841 to prevent the destruction of this Romanesque façade in the Saintonge style.

Since when has the enclosure been protected?

The enclosure, the freestanding tower and the Renaissance gate were listed as historic monuments by decree on 27 February 1925.

Château de Surgères

Surgères Castle

Surgères

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

Where: Surgères

Hours and prices not verified at the source yet.Check on the official website

To make a day of it

Sleep nearby

Château de Surgères stands in Surgères (Charente-Maritime), in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 16th century). Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

In Surgères, on the banks of the Gères river, a large castle complex brings together centuries of construction behind a medieval enclosure shaped like an ellipse, some 600 metres long. Visitors can see a Romanesque church in the Saintonge style, its façade rescued thanks to Mérimée, a Renaissance gate, a freestanding tower known as the Tour Hélène, and the former seigneurial residence that now houses the town hall. The site combines fortified remains, classical civil buildings and gardens, with no single period dominating the whole.

Written from Château de Surgères

What to know

The site is mainly explored from the outside, walking along the enclosure, the gardens and the surroundings of the civil buildings.
The former seigneurial residence now houses the Surgères town hall, so it cannot be visited as an open château.
The enclosure, the freestanding tower and the Renaissance gate have been listed as historic monuments since 1925.
The rose garden planted behind the former presbytery offers an additional spot for a walk within the park.
The ground is flat and easy to walk, so touring the enclosure requires no particular physical effort.

Practical information

Opening hours

Monday	08:30-12:30 · 13:30-17:30
Tuesday	08:30-12:30 · 13:30-17:30
Wednesday	08:30-12:30 · 13:30-17:30
Thursday	08:30-12:30 · 13:30-17:30
Friday	08:30-12:30 · 13:30-16:30
Saturday	08:30-12:30 · 13:30-16:30
Sunday (today)	08:30-12:30 · 13:30-16:30

Opening hours published by the château on its Google listing. We have not yet confirmed them on its official website.

Visit duration: Not verified
Wheelchair access: Not verified
Dogs: Not verified
Parking: Not verified

Where this château is

Surgères · Charente-Maritime · Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Map of the area around Château de Surgères

Loading the map…

This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Sq. du Château, 17700 Surgères

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

Get directions View on a map

Château phone number

+33 5 46 07 00 23

Call

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

4.4 / 5from 668 Google reviews

Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA00105274
Period of construction: 16th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the inside of the château de Surgères?: The former seigneurial residence now serves as the town hall, so it is not open for interior visits like a classic château.
Where does the name of the Tour Hélène come from?: It honours Hélène de Fonsèque, lady of Surgères and muse of the poet Ronsard, and is a surviving remnant of the 12th-century medieval castle.
Who saved the façade of the Notre-Dame church?: Prosper Mérimée intervened in 1841 to prevent the destruction of this Romanesque façade in the Saintonge style.
Since when has the enclosure been protected?: The enclosure, the freestanding tower and the Renaissance gate were listed as historic monuments by decree on 27 February 1925.