The 10 most beautiful castles in Ille-et-Vilaine
10 châteaux
Chosen among 367 recorded castles
What to see in Ille-et-Vilaine 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 Vitré (Vitré Castle)
Vitré
At Vitré, the castle occupies a triangular site at the far end of the walled old town, perched on a rocky spur above the Vilaine river.
No. 2
Château des Pères (Pères Castle)
Piré-Chancé
In Piré-Chancé, about thirty minutes from Rennes, the château des Pères stands on the former site of the Plessis-Guériff castle, whose origins trace back to a 12th century feudal mound.
No. 3
Château du Rocher-Portail (Rocher-Portail Castle)
Maen Roch
Set beside a pond in the Coglais area, the château du Rocher-Portail displays three ranges of buildings under steep roofs, built between 1586 and 1607 for Gilles de Ruellan, a close associate of Henri IV.
Adult €29Hours, prices and access
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No. 4
Château de la Ballue (Ballue Castle)
Bazouges-la-Pérouse
At Bazouges-la-Pérouse, the château de la Ballue owes its reputation less to its Louis XIII main building than to its terraced gardens, recreated in the 1970s following a layout dating back to the 18th century.
No. 5
Château de Châteaugiron (Châteaugiron Castle)
Châteaugiron
At the heart of Châteaugiron stands a fortress dating back to the turn of the first millennium, with four of its original towers still standing, including a 38-metre keep that still overlooks the town.
No. 6
Château de Montmuran (Montmuran Castle)
Les Iffs
Standing in the parish of Les Iffs, between Rennes and Saint-Malo, Montmuran castle keeps its stone towers raised at the end of the 12th century by the lords of Tinténiac.
Adult €6Hours, prices and access
No. 7
Château de Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier
Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier
Set on a hilltop overlooking the valley toward Fougères, the ruins of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier castle recall one of the strongholds that once guarded the borders of the Duchy of Brittany.
No. 8
Château des Rochers-Sévigné (Rochers-Sévigné Castle)
Vitré
A few kilometres from Vitré, the Château des Rochers-Sévigné owes its renown to Madame de Sévigné, who stayed there for long periods after her husband's death and wrote much of her correspondence with her daughter within its walls.
No. 9
Château du Bois-Glaume
Poligné
The Château du Bois Glaume stands in Poligné, in Ille-et-Vilaine, built on the foundations of a medieval structure that was altered during the Renaissance and then rebuilt in the 18th century.
No. 10
Château de la Rouërie (Rouërie Castle)
Val-Couesnon
The Château de la Rouërie stands in Val-Couesnon, in Ille-et-Vilaine, on the foundations of a medieval stronghold. Rebuilt and altered over three successive periods, in 1624, 1730 and then 1824, it retains interior woodwork dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Every castle in Ille-et-Vilaine (367)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Ille-et-Vilaine?
- The most visited in Ille-et-Vilaine is Château de Vitré, 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 367 castles recorded in Ille-et-Vilaine, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.