The 10 most beautiful castles in Deux-Sèvres
10 châteaux
Chosen among 124 recorded castles
What to see in Deux-Sèvres when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by attendance, from the number of Google reviews. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Château de Bressuire (Bressuire Castle)
Bressuire
The ruins of Bressuire castle stand on the tip of a plateau overlooking a bend in the river, in the Deux-Sèvres. It was once one of the major medieval strongholds of the Poitou region, fought over for three centuries by the kings of France and England, though it was never besieged.
No. 2
Donjon de Niort
Niort
Two massive towers standing by the Sèvre Niortaise river are what remains of the castle built for Henry II Plantagenet at the end of the 12th century. The south tower rises to 28 metres, the north tower to 23 metres, having been rebuilt after it partly collapsed in the 18th century.
No. 3
Château du Coudray-Salbart (Coudray-Salbart Castle)
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
On the banks of the Sèvre Niortaise river, the ruins of the Coudray-Salbart castle recall a stronghold built between the 12th and 13th centuries by the lords of Parthenay-Larchevêque, with financial backing from the Plantagenets.
Adult €7Hours, prices and access
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No. 4
Château de Javarzay (Javarzay Castle)
Chef-Boutonne
The château de Javarzay stands in Chef-Boutonne, in the Deux-Sèvres, built of tuffeau stone in the 16th century with the look of a small Loire valley castle.
Adult €8Hours, prices and access
No. 5
Château de Parthenay (Parthenay Castle)
Parthenay
In Parthenay, in the Deux-Sèvres region, the ruins of the castle overlook a bend of the Thouet river, on the site of a fortress built from 1227 by the Larchevêque lords.
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No. 6
Château de Tennessus (Tennessus Castle)
Amailloux
On the edge of Amailloux, in the Deux-Sèvres, Tennessus castle stands its medieval walls beside a departmental road, surrounded by water-filled moats. The tower, documented since the early 15th century, sits alongside a manor house reworked in the 18th century, where the date 1771 is still inscribed.
Adult €7.50Hours, prices and access
No. 7
Château de l'Ébaupinay (Ébaupinay Castle)
Argentonnay
In Argentonnay, in the Deux-Sèvres département, the ruins of the Château de l'Ébaupinay still raise their five Gothic towers around a square main building, surrounded by water-filled moats.
No. 8
Château de Cherveux (Cherveux Castle)
Cherveux
In Cherveux, in the Deux-Sèvres region, stands a fortified château whose irregular five-sided enclosure is still mirrored in its water-filled moat.
No. 9
Château de la Durbelière (Durbelière Castle)
Mauléon
In Mauléon, in the Deux-Sèvres, the ruins of the Durbelière recall a former manor built by the Rorthais family and later the Meulles, reworked in the 15th and 17th centuries before being destroyed by fire during the Vendée wars.
No. 10
Château de Mursay (Mursay Castle)
Échiré
On the left bank of the Sèvre niortaise, in Échiré, the ruins of the château de Mursay recall a 16th-century manor house where Françoise d'Aubigné, the future Madame de Maintenon, spent her early years under the guardianship of her aunt Madame de Villette. Henri IV also stayed there.
Every castle in Deux-Sèvres (124)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Deux-Sèvres?
- The most visited in Deux-Sèvres is Château de Bressuire, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 124 castles recorded in Deux-Sèvres, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.