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Chateaupedia

Castles in Loire, France

12 open to visitors · 181 châteaux listed · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Every château we have listed in this department, with its verification level.

We record 181 castles, manor houses and strongholds in Loire, spread across 124 towns and villages. The ones with the most visitor reviews are Château d'Essalois (Essalois Castle) (12th century) and Château des Cornes d'Urfé (Cornes d'Urfé Castle) (590 reviews).

17 of them receive visitors, according to their official website or their business listing. We have checked the opening hours of 14 and the prices of 6 of them, and each entry shows the date of that check. 18 of them are listed historic monuments, the highest level of protection in French heritage law. Each entry says what we could verify and what still needs confirming: enough to plan a day that holds together.

The 8 castles not to miss in Loire

The most searched-for on Google and the most reviewed by visitors, among those open to visitors, with the essentials of each entry.

  1. 1

    Château de la Roche (Roche Castle)

    Saint-Priest-la-Roche

    Once perched on a rocky outcrop above the Loire, the château de la Roche now stands on an island, the only building spared when the Villerest dam was filled in 1984. First recorded in 1260…

    Adult €8

  2. 2

    Château de Bouthéon (Bouthéon Castle)

    Andrézieux-Bouthéon

    Perched on a promontory above the Loire river and the Forez plain, Bouthéon castle carries seven centuries of history, having belonged in turn to the counts of Forez, the La Fayette family,…

  3. 3

    Château d'Essalois (Essalois Castle)

    Chambles

    Essalois castle overlooks Lake Grangent from a rocky spur above the village of Chambles, in the Loire department.

  4. 4

    Château des Cornes d'Urfé (Cornes d'Urfé Castle)

    Champoly

    Perched at 927 metres on a volcanic rock outcrop, the château des Cornes d'Urfé overlooks the valley above Champoly.

  5. 5

    Château de Matel (Matel Castle)

    Roanne

    In Roanne, the Château de Matel stands along the Roanne-to-Digoin canal, surrounded by a park with century-old yew trees.

  6. 6

    Château de Montrouge (Montrouge Castle)

    Savigneux

    The château de Montrouge stands in Savigneux, in the Loire department. Its heritage value rests on a small room on the first floor of the southwest tower, whose decoration led to its…

  7. 7

    Château de Couzan (Couzan Castle)

    Sail-sous-Couzan

    The ruins of Couzan castle overlook the village of Sail-sous-Couzan, in the Loire department, and date back to the 11th century.

  8. 8

    Château de Beaulieu (Beaulieu Castle)

    Riorges

    château de Beaulieu, in Riorges (Loire), France. Location, access and practical information.

The 10 most beautiful castles in Loire, our selection

Coming this weekend? 8 castles open on Saturday or Sunday in Loire.

How much does it cost? 6 entry prices in Loire, including 0 free castles.

During the holidays, 8 castles open in Loire (Christmas holidays).

During the holidays, 9 castles open in Loire (February holidays).

During the holidays, 10 castles open in Loire (spring holidays).

For the spring long weekends, 9 castles open at Easter 2027 in Loire · 10 castles open for the May 2027 long weekends in Loire.

In French: Tous les châteaux de la Loire

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Frequently asked

How many châteaux in Loire can you visit?
We record 181 châteaux in Loire, across 124 towns and villages. Not all are open: many are private properties we list for their heritage interest, and the entry says so when we know.
Which is the most visited château in Loire?
Château de la Roche, in Saint-Priest-la-Roche, with — visitor reviews. Actual footfall is the measure, not an editorial ranking.
How many châteaux in Loire are listed historic monuments?
18 out of 181. Listing is the highest level of protection in French heritage law; every entry links to its official record in the Mérimée database.
Where can I find opening hours?
On each entry. We know the hours of 14 châteaux in this list, read from their official website or their business listing, with the date we last checked shown.