Villers-Cotterêts Castle

Villers-Cotterêts

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Visit duration: 120 min
Where: Villers-Cotterêts

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Château de Saintines (Saintines Castle)Accommodation on site24 km

This week in the agenda

ConcertSun, Oct 18 · château royal de Senlis et prieuré Saint-Maurice37 km

Château de Villers-Cotterêts stands in Villers-Cotterêts (Aisne), in the Hauts-de-France region of France. The building is listed as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 16th century, 18th century). Its opening hours and prices were verified at the source on August 11, 2026.

On the edge of the Retz forest, the château de Villers-Cotterêts is the only Renaissance royal château still standing in Picardy. Built in the 16th century for François I, it has retained almost all of its original layout, including a courtyard flanked by outbuildings and a main residence with a Renaissance facade. Visitors can see the King's staircase and the chapel, decorated with carvings attributed to Jean Goujon, featuring salamanders and fleurs-de-lys tied to the royal patron. The building now houses the Cité internationale de la langue française.

Written from Château de Villers-Cotterêts

This place also features in The castles of Francis I

What to know

A full visit takes about two hours.
The site is fully accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
The château is open every day of the week.
Free parking is available at Grand Bosquet and near the train station, with disabled parking spaces on place Aristide Briand.
The building now houses the Cité internationale de la langue française, which shapes which areas are open to visitors.

Practical information

Opening hours

Monday	Closed
Tuesday	10:00-18:30
Wednesday	10:00-18:30
Thursday	10:00-18:30
Friday	10:00-18:30
Saturday (today)	10:00-18:30
Sunday	10:00-18:30

Accès à la cour des Offices: dès 8h30 du 2 septembre 2025 au 3 juillet 2026, à partir de 9h30 durant les vacances d'été
fermeture à 17h30 les 24 et 31 décembre (dernier accès 16h30)

Annual closures : Monday (except Easter Monday and Whit Monday); 1 January; 1 May; 25 December

Prices

Free for Under 18s; 18-25 year-olds inclusive (EU nationals and non-European residents with regular status); disabled person and their companion; job seekers (certificate less than 6 months old); valid Pass éducation

Visit duration: 120 min
Wheelchair access: Full visit accessible
Dogs: Not verified
Parking: Free parking: Grand Bosquet and station car park; parking spaces in the town centre; disabled parking spaces at Place Aristide Briand

Disabled access as well as a lift to the upper floor; disabled parking spaces at Place Aristide Briand, close to the entrance